CARACAS, Venezuela: Thousands of people in Venezuela were feared dead on June 25 after two very strong earthquakes caused major destruction in and around the capital, Caracas. Buildings collapsed, trapping people under the rubble, and strong aftershocks followed.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas on the afternoon of June 24. Less than a minute later, it was followed by an even stronger magnitude 7.5 quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As night fell, emergency workers searched through the debris of collapsed buildings in Caracas, while worried families looked for relatives believed to be trapped. Shocked survivors were taken away, some on stretchers.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said at least 164 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 injured. The government was working with businesses to bring in heavy machinery to speed up rescue efforts for those still trapped.

The worst-hit area was La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the city's airport. Videos from witnesses showed panic as ceilings collapsed inside the airport and rubble covered areas along the seafront.

Homes also collapsed near the earthquake's center in Morón, a small coastal town in Carabobo state, where there was no water or electricity. At least eight people, including three children, were killed there, according to the town's mayor, Emily Riera.

"It felt like all those houses were falling on top of us," said Geilin Morales, 29, who had just left her home with her husband and 6-year-old daughter when it was destroyed.

The U.S. Geological Survey used models to estimate that the death toll could likely reach into the thousands, with a strong chance it could go beyond 10,000.

A website created by opposition leaders, many of whom are outside Venezuela, listed more than 24,000 people as missing by 10:40 a.m. local time.

Many people were at home when the earthquakes struck, as it was a public holiday.

Rodriguez said rescue teams from other countries would arrive soon. She thanked world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The United Nations' human rights mission in Venezuela urged the government to remove restrictions on social media, calling it a "matter of life and death." Internet access was only available in some parts of the country, where phone service is often unreliable.

People across Caracas rushed to leave buildings as they shook, especially in areas where infrastructure was already weak due to years of underinvestment.

"As soon as it started, we heard people screaming," said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. "Everyone was running down the stairs."

Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her leave her home. "This earthquake was terrible, even worse than the one in 1967," she said, referring to a magnitude 6.3 quake that killed 240 people, according to the USGS.

Venezuela is located in an earthquake-prone region where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.

According to the USGS, about 30,000 people were killed in a major earthquake that destroyed parts of Merida and Caracas in 1812.

U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said international rescue teams were being quickly organized, adding that a "massive collective effort" would be needed in a country where 8 million people already needed humanitarian aid even before the disaster.

Oil Companies' Infrastructure Not Damaged, Workers Safe

At Caracas' Hospital de Clínicas, staff increased the number of night shifts to treat the injured, according to a worker.

Schools were closed for the rest of the week, and the city's stock exchange was shut and will be used to support rescue operations.

The Venezuelan Red Cross said its headquarters was badly damaged, but it had sent rescue teams to the worst-affected areas. The French embassy was also seriously damaged.

Near the earthquake's center, workers began restarting the Morón Petrochemical Complex, the country's second-largest, after checking the damage, a local firefighter chief said.

Other oil facilities appeared to be unaffected.

Chevron, the main foreign partner of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, said all its employees were safe and operations were continuing. UK-based oil company Shell, which is studying gas projects in Venezuela, also said all its staff were unharmed.