Two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck overnight (between Wednesday and Thursday) west of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, causing extensive damage in the city.“The number of casualties is likely to be high and the disaster is likely to be widespread,” the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, estimating that the death toll could range between 10,000 and 100,000. Authorities have not provided official estimates for deaths or injuries.Strong earthquakes strike Venezuela, buildings collapse amid fears of tens of thousands dead (Video: Reuters)President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the nation and declared a state of emergency in the country, as well as the closure of Maiquetía International Airport due to the damage. She expressed condolences to the families of the victims without specifying numbers. According to her, in addition to the two powerful quakes, 20 aftershocks were felt.“Building and homes have collapsed, and we are dealing with things with what we have in terms of security and civilian assistance,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television. “Firefighters and police have been deployed.”Gallery(Photo: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)Footage from the city showed emergency workers climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, and desperate relatives searching for help.U.S. President Donald Trump said the earthquakes had left “a staggering number of deaths” and stressed that they were “of massive scale.” He said, “The U.S. is ready and able to help. I have instructed all our government agencies to prepare to move quickly. The initial reports are not good. We will be there for our new friends.”(Photo: Juan BARRETO / AFP)Many Venezuelans were at home when the earthquakes struck during a public holiday marking a military victory in 1821 that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain. “As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist from western Caracas. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”Residents across the capital, which was also hit by a deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.(Photo: Juan BARRETO / AFP)“There was a very loud noise. Things fell in the house, pitchers inside the fridge. I have never experienced anything like it,” said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner from southern Caracas, said police helped her leave her home: “This earthquake was terrible, even worse than the one in 1967.”(Photo: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)Another resident said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.Manuel Guevara Barro, who lives on the ninth floor of a building in the Los Palos Grandes district, told CNN that the earthquakes in Caracas on Wednesday were “terrible” and unlike anything he had experienced in the city before. “I have never seen anything like it,” he said. “I lived through the 1967 earthquake in Caracas, which also had many victims, but it was nothing like what we are experiencing today.”(Photo: Juan BARRETO / AFP)He said the shaking was so strong he could not hold onto anything. “I couldn’t even walk because of the intensity of the movement,” he said, adding that when he thought things had calmed down, he tried to escape down the stairs. The corridors were dark due to a power outage and water was flowing from broken pipes. He fled with his neighbors. “People were crying, having nervous breakdowns,” he said. “It was truly terrifying.”(Photo: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)Shortly after the powerful earthquakes, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and warned of dangerous waves in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. The warning was lifted about an hour later. The U.S. also said it was in contact with Venezuelan authorities and was mobilizing assistance.A senior U.S. State Department official said the department had activated a disaster response task force to coordinate aid. “In cooperation with our partners in the Venezuelan interim government, the U.S. will send search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies, and other resources in the critical first days following this tragic natural disaster,” he added. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas reported that all American personnel were accounted for.