At least 32 people were killed and around 700 others injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said early on Thursday, with casualty numbers set to rise further.
No casualty figures were yet available from the particularly badly affected state of La Guaira on the Caribbean coast, which Rodríguez described as a "disaster area."
She called the back-to-back earthquakes a "true tragedy" for Venezuela, while the government declared a state of emergency.
Rescue workers were searching for many people feared trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Train services across the South American country were suspended, while the international airport in the capital Caracas was closed due to damage.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5. A model calculation by the agency suggested a very high risk of a large number of casualties.
Rodríguez said Caracas and several states in northern Venezuela had suffered significant damage. She said 20 aftershocks had already been recorded.
Two quakes strike within a minute
According to the USGS, just 39 seconds separated the two tremors. The first quake struck at 6:04 pm (2204 GMT) on Wednesday, 24 kilometres east of San Felipe in north-western Venezuela, at a depth of 21.9 kilometres.
The second, stronger quake struck a few kilometres further north at a depth of only around 10 kilometres. Because of its shallow depth, the second quake was likely to have had a greater impact.
More than 400,000 people live in the nearby cities of Puerto Cabello and San Felipe, according to the USGS. Collapsed buildings and significant damage were also reported there.
The USGS automatic model calculation, based on the magnitude of the quake and the proximity of several cities, indicated a very high likelihood of more than 1,000 deaths.
Caracas, the city of millions from which the first images and reports emerged after the quakes, was more than 150 kilometres east of the epicentre.
Trump says US ready to help Venezuela
US President Donald Trump promised swift assistance to Venezuela, writing on his Truth Social platform that the two major earthquakes were "massive in scale" and had left "a devastating number of deaths."
He did not say what information he was basing his statement on.
"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!" Trump wrote, adding that he had instructed all US government agencies to prepare to move quickly.
"We will be there for our new and great friends," Trump wrote. "Early reports are not good!!!"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was immediately deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela at Trump's direction.
"The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes," Rubio wrote on X.
"Our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones, those injured, and the courageous rescue workers working tirelessly in the aftermath," he added.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that 300 rescue workers and paramedics, along with 50 tons of aid supplies, were ready to be sent to Caracas.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said specialized military search-and-rescue teams would depart for Venezuela in the morning. Brazil, Mexico, Panama and other countries also signalled their willingness to help.
Images show scale of damage
In the Caribbean coastal city of Tucacas, 15 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble of a collapsed five-storey building, Falcón state Governor Víctor Clark told broadcaster VTV. He said around 22 injured people were being treated in clinics there.
Videos circulating on social media showed damage to buildings, including at Caracas airport. Other footage showed frightened people at the airport trying to reach safety as the ground shook and clouds of dust rose.
Interior minister: 'Extremely alarming situation'
"We are dealing with an extremely alarming situation," Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on television.
The quake was felt in at least seven states, he said, warning that aftershocks were likely and could cause further structural failures in already damaged buildings. Officials also ordered gas supplies to be shut off as a precaution to prevent explosions.
Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is currently not in Venezuela, wrote on X: "My heart, my infinite embrace and my prayers go out in these hours of hardship to every Venezuelan family. May strength, calm and solidarity prevail among us in this difficult time."
