Extent of damage from twin seismic events isn’t yet clearpublished at 01:07 BST
Will Grant
North America correspondent
The US geological survey reports that an initial 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck in the state of Carabobo, some 20km from the capital, Caracas.
It was immediately followed by another main shock, which was registered at 7.5 magnitude.
The twin seismic events caused building to sway and residents to take to the streets in fear.
Videos posted to social media show some buildings have been cracked, badly damaged or collapsed and thousands of residents remain too worried about aftershocks to return to their apartments.
The country’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, confirmed on state television that some buildings had collapsed.
The tremor was felt as far away as the Colombian capital, Bogota.
The extent of the damage still isn’t completely clear as the Venezuelan authorities continue to assess the worst affected areas.
