Two earthquakes toppled buildings in Caracas and prompted a frantic effort to rescue survivors in a country already grappling with political and economic turmoil.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake and a 7.5-magnitude were less than a minute apart, said the U.S. Geological Survey. The second earthquake was the largest to hit the country since 1900.

Several earthquakes shook Venezuela's capital of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon,witnesses reported.