The interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, confirmed on Thursday that twin powerful earthquakes have killed at least 32 people and injured more than 700 others after two major tremors struck the country’s central coastal region, collapsing buildings and triggering widespread panic across the capital and surrounding states.

The earthquakes, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), struck within seconds of each other on Wednesday evening, causing severe structural damage in multiple cities and forcing the temporary closure of Venezuela’s main international airport.

President Delcy Rodriguez said emergency services were still assessing the full scale of destruction, particularly in the coastal state of La Guaira, which authorities believe may be among the worst affected areas.

“At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths and more than 700 injured,” Rodriguez said in a national address early Thursday, adding that data from remote regions was still being compiled.

The USGS said the second and stronger earthquake was preceded by a foreshock just 39 seconds earlier, describing the event as a seismic “doublet” that intensified its destructive impact across densely populated areas near Caracas.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed that emergency protocols were activated immediately after the tremors, including the suspension of gas supplies in several buildings as a precaution against secondary explosions.

“We have some damaged structures and we don’t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,” Cabello said.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as residents rushed into the streets while buildings swayed violently.

In Caracas, parts of residential and commercial structures collapsed, including a 22-storey building in the Altamira district that was reduced to rubble, according to AFP journalists on the ground.

Rescue workers and volunteers continued searching through debris for survivors, with reports of people calling out for trapped relatives amid unstable ruins.

“We need flashlights,” one volunteer was heard saying at the scene as emergency crews worked through the night.

Among survivors, many recounted moments of terror as the quake struck without warning.

“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,” said Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee who was inside a building during the tremors.

Another resident, Heidi Romero, who was inside a shopping centre at the time, described the intensity of the shaking.

“It was unbelievable, I don’t even know how long it lasted,” Romero said. “We went out through the emergency stairs; that’s how they got us out.”

Authorities reported that aftershocks continued to shake the region, with at least 20 recorded following the initial quakes, raising concerns about further structural collapses in already weakened buildings.

The Maiquetía International Airport near Caracas was shut down due to what officials described as serious infrastructure damage, with images circulating on social media showing parts of the facility affected by the tremors.

The quake’s impact extended beyond Venezuela’s borders, with tremors felt as far as Bogotá, Colombia, where buildings were evacuated as a precaution and alarms were triggered in some districts.

Colombian seismologists reported more than 200 tremor alerts nationwide and warned that additional aftershocks could be felt across the region in the coming days.

However, disaster agencies confirmed that there was no tsunami threat following the seismic activity.

US President Donald Trump expressed support for Venezuela, describing the disaster as “devastating” and indicating readiness to assist with emergency response efforts.

“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,” Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help. I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” he added.

Venezuela is located in a seismically active region, though events of this magnitude are relatively rare in the capital region.

The strongest earthquakes in the country’s modern history include the 1997 tremor in the northeast, which killed 73 people, and the 1967 Caracas earthquake, which claimed 236 lives.

As emergency teams continue search and rescue operations, authorities say the death toll could rise as more remote and severely affected areas are reached.

The government has urged residents to remain outdoors where possible and to report structural damage as aftershocks continue to pose ongoing risks across affected regions.