Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, collapsing buildings in Caracas

Back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas spread as far as Brazil’s Amazon about 1,700 kilometers away. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said late Wednesday that the earthquakes caused damages in several states. She did not give any figures of homes and buildings affected, injures or fatalities. The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.