Two powerful quakes hit Venezuela, state of emergency declared

Two powerful earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela late Wednesday afternoon, bringing down ‌buildings in the capital Caracas and causing the country's government to announce a state of emergency.

Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a state of emergency, and announced the closure of the main international airport in Maiquetía, which suffered severe damage, according to media reports. She also said the metro and train systems had been suspended.

In a television address, Rodriguez told the people to remain calm and united. She expressed condolences to those who had lost relatives, though she did not specify the number of casualties.

According to Rodriguez, in addition to two powerful earthquakes, 20 aftershocks were felt. She urged citizens to evacuate damaged buildings.

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).

Shaking windows and toppled bookshelves were reported at the residences and images circulating on social media showed collapsed houses on the streets. Video footage also showed emergency workers climbing into the ruins of one collapsed building in the capital ⁠as night began ‌to fall.

Many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday when the quakes hit.

Venezuela's Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello said the strong earthquakes have caused damage in cities across the country, giving no immediate details on casualties or injuries.

Cabello urged Venezuelans to avoid staying inside buildings in the coming hours due to the risk of strong aftershocks that could cause further collapses, while calling on the public to remain calm and united as the country deals with the quakes' aftermath.

Meanwhile, Colombian media reported that the quakes were also felt strongly in several cities in neighboring Colombia.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat ​for Puerto ​Rico ⁠and the US and British Virgin Islands following ​the earthquake, adding that ​islands ⁠off the coast from Venezuela to Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire could ⁠also ​be hit by ​hazardous waves. 

The USGS said the two quakes are likely to result in high casualties and extensive damage.

(With input from agencies)