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After massive earthquakes struck Caracas, Venezuela on the 24th (local time), people inspect a collapsed building in the Altamira district in eastern Caracas. / Courtesy of AFP and Yonhap News

U.S. media outlet CNN and Reuters reported that a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela and the Caribbean region on the 24th (local time), followed by a powerful 7.5-magnitude quake just 40 seconds later.

According to CNN, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit west of Moron, a town on the Caribbean coast of northern Venezuela, at around 6:04 p.m. that day, with the 7.5-magnitude quake following at a point about 45 kilometers southwest of the first epicenter.

Widespread damage was reported in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and rescue teams rushed to the scene after a building collapsed in the Los Palos Grandes district of the city. CNN explained that the exact scale of the damage has not yet been determined.

The country's primary international airport, Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, was closed down due to building collapses.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined the depth of the earthquakes to be 21.9 kilometers for the first quake and 10 kilometers for the second.

Delcy Rodriguez, the Interim President of Venezuela, announced that at least 32 people were killed and more than 700 were injured.

President Rodriguez declared a state of national emergency, and hundreds of rescue workers are currently searching for victims.

According to Reuters, former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is currently imprisoned in the United States, sent a message stating, "I feel deep sadness over the tragedy of my homeland."

A resident who experienced the 1967 Caracas earthquake said, "This earthquake was unlike anything I've ever experienced." Another resident lamented, "The scene was like a horror movie."

A resident living in western Caracas described the urgency of the moment, saying, "As soon as the earthquake started, I began to hear people screaming," and added, "Everyone rushed down the stairs."

The USGS projected that the death toll could reach anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000, warning that a massive loss of life and catastrophic property damage are highly likely to occur.

                                                                                                           Park Jin-sook