The death toll from two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 164, foreign media reports.
The two earthquakes have flattened many buildings in the Caracas area and many more are seriously injured and trapped in the rubble, the media says, and the death toll is expected to rise further as rescue operations begin in those areas.
This is the strongest earthquake to hit Venezuela in decades and it occurred about 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Caracas. The United States Geological Survey reported that it was measured at 7.2 on the Richter scale.
The country’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, declared a state of emergency and designated the worst-hit province of La Guaira, located near the capital, as a risk zone.