2 quakes kill 32 in Venezuela, flatten buildings near Caracas
What's new: USGS warned the death toll could climb into the thousands as rescue teams and aid from the U.S. and regional countries mobilized.
Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela less than a minute apart Wednesday, killing at least 32 people and injuring about 700 as buildings collapsed in Caracas and nearby La Guaira. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quakes at magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, with epicenters near Morón on the Caribbean coast, roughly 100 miles west of Caracas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the toll was expected to rise as crews searched the rubble, especially in hard-hit La Guaira. Simón Bolívar International Airport closed after debris fell and structural damage was reported. The U.S. State Department mobilized a disaster team, while Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador also offered help.