Dozens of buildings collapsed or suffered severe damage in the La Guaira area north of Caracas after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday.

Residents and rescue teams were seen searching for survivors in the darkness amid widespread power outages in affected areas.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 7.5 earthquake was the strongest recorded in Venezuela in more than a century.

The first quake, measuring 7.2 magnitude, struck at 6:04 p.m. local time at a depth of 21.9 kilometers and about 200 kilometers from Caracas. Just 39 seconds later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit at a depth of 10 kilometers and only 45 kilometers away.

The twin earthquakes were followed by around twenty aftershocks as authorities continued assessing the extent of the damage and casualties.