Caracas. Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 700 as rescue crews searched collapsed buildings and authorities warned that the death toll could rise.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck minutes apart shortly after 6 p.m., causing widespread damage across several states.

The casualty figures released early Thursday did not include the coastal state of La Guaira, which Rodríguez described as the country's hardest-hit area and a "disaster zone."

"Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, and we are carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives," she said in a televised address.

The earthquakes, among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, were felt across northern South America, with tremors reported as far away as Brazil's Amazon region, roughly 1,700 kilometers from Caracas.

State broadcaster VTV aired footage of rescue workers pulling three children alive from the rubble in La Guaira. A hospital in the coastal city of Tucacas also suffered damage, forcing medical personnel and patients to evacuate.

Authorities temporarily shut down Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas after the facility sustained damage. Subway services and natural gas supplies in the capital were also suspended as officials assessed infrastructure damage.

Rodríguez said schools would remain closed for several days, while some educational facilities would be converted into temporary shelters and aid distribution centers.

"We urge our population to remain calm," Rodríguez said. "We urge unity."

According to the US Geological Survey, the first earthquake measured magnitude 7.2 and struck near the Caribbean coastal city of Morón at a depth of 22 kilometers. A second, stronger 7.5-magnitude quake followed about a minute later at a depth of 10 kilometers.

In Falcon state, Governor Víctor Clark said at least 32 people had been hospitalized, while emergency crews continued searching for people trapped beneath collapsed structures.

International assistance quickly began to arrive. Governments including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Panama and Uruguay offered support.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. Rodríguez later confirmed she had spoken with Rubio by telephone.

Qatar, Mexico and El Salvador also pledged rescue personnel, while Ecuador announced emergency humanitarian aid shipments.

Television footage showed rescue workers using heavy equipment and power tools to cut through debris as aftershocks rattled affected areas.

Residents in Caracas described scenes of panic as buildings swayed, walls collapsed and power outages disrupted communications.

"It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses and gather outside," Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.

Another resident, Roberto Gamas, said the building he was in "really shook from side to side."

The widespread disruption of mobile phone networks heightened anxiety among families, particularly those separated from relatives abroad. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country during its prolonged economic and political crisis.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, speaking from exile, called for solidarity and resilience.

"May strength, serenity and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time," she wrote on social media.

While Venezuela sits near several geological fault lines, major earthquakes are relatively uncommon compared with countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire, such as Chile and Mexico. The twin quakes nevertheless rank among the strongest recorded in the country in more than a century.

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