Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same area of Venezuela on Wednesday evening, damaging buildings and triggering panic in the capital.

Authorities said some structures collapsed and roofs caved in, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

An AFP journalist saw a 22-story building destroyed in Caracas' Altamira district as residents and volunteers searched through the rubble.

The quakes drove people into the streets across the capital, with tremors also felt in neighboring Colombia.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 7.5-magnitude quake struck just 39 seconds after a 7.2 foreshock near the coastal town of Moron.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged residents to leave damaged buildings, while authorities cut gas supplies in some areas as a precaution.

Officials warned that aftershocks remain possible but ruled out any tsunami threat.