Rescuers are searching through rubble in a rush to save lives after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela near the capital, killing at least 235 people and injuring more than 1,500, BBC reported.

In Caracas and the nearby coastal city of La Guaira, people could be heard calling for help from under the debris of collapsed buildings.

The first 7.2-magnitude quake was followed seconds later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude one, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with both occurring close to the surface, making destruction more severe.

Many more people are feared dead, with others left homeless or too afraid to stay in damaged, unsafe buildings sleeping in the streets after the disaster.

The earthquakes struck at 18:04 local time (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday – a national holiday in Venezuela, meaning more people would have been at home than on a normal weekday.