At least 164 people have been killed and 971 injured in Venezuela after powerful back-to-back earthquakes rocked the country. Thousands more are feared dead after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 100 miles west of the capital, Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS said the death toll would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of it exceeding 10,000. The casualty figures released early Thursday excluded the state of La Guaira, which is believed to be the area hardest hit and which Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodriguez described as a “disaster zone.” The quakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.

Full report : At least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured after powerful twin tremors.