Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 32, with 700 injured, as buildings destroyed across Caracas

Back-to-back earthquakes have killed at least 32 people in Venezuela, with at least 700 injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez has said.

Rodríguez has declared a state of national emergency and offered her condolences, the BBC reported.

The US Geological Survey earlier calculated a 44% chance of more than 10,000 fatalities, and a 30% chance of more than 100,000.

The first earthquake had a magnitude 7.2 and the second - which hit less than a minute later - was more powerful, at 7.5.

Venezuela was celebrating a national holiday, and many people would have been at home when the quakes struck at 18:04 local time (23:04 BST).

The quakes hit an area west of Caracas, and could be felt throughout the country and as far away as Bogota, Colombia.

There remains the fear of aftershocks, or that buildings damaged by the quake may suddenly collapse. Many are also waiting for news of their loved ones.

Authorities have asked people to leave their homes while the damage is being assessed - but not everyone has a place to take refuge after the quakes.

Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where two tectonic plates, the Caribbean and the South American, meet.

Leaders across Latin America have offered support and solidarity, as has US President Donald Trump. 

"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," US President Donald Trump has written in a post on Truth Social.

"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!"

Trump said he has "instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly.

Three people have been killed after two buildings collapsed in Baruta, a municipality in Caracas, according to its mayor Darwin González.