Two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela in rapid succession on Wednesday, striking just about a minute apart and leaving a trail of collapsed buildings and significant damage across the country, including in the capital city of Caracas.
The twin tremors registered magnitudes of 7.1 and 7.5, making them among the strongest earthquakes to shake Venezuela in more than a century. The rare occurrence of back-to-back quakes of this magnitude caught residents and officials off guard.
Photos captured by AP photo editors document the destruction left behind by the historic seismic event.
