High casualties and extensive damage are feared, with the US Geological Survey (USGS) saying there is a 44% chance the death toll from the back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela could surpass 10,000.

BBC News has reported that Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez declares a state of emergency after the two major earthquakes shook the capital Caracas just seconds apart – the first a magnitude 7.2 and the second 7.5.

Buildings have collapsed as residents poured out into the streets, and the interior minister has asked people to leave their homes.