Rescue operations are continuing in Venezuela following two major earthquakes, while the country's acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency. Multiple buildings collapsed in the capital Caracas after quakes struck in quick succession late Wednesday afternoon.

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas at 6:04 p.m. local time (2204 GMT) on Wednesday, followed less than a minute later by an even stronger magnitude-7.5 tremor at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS also issued a dire predictive model warning of a 44% probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000 people. Join CGTN for the latest.