[Anchor]

In South America, Venezuela has been struck by back-to-back earthquakes with magnitudes exceeding 7.0, occurring just 39 seconds apart. So far, at least 1,000 casualties have been reported, and the death toll is expected to rise further.

Reporter Yu Deok-gi has the story.

[Reporter]

Buildings collapse amidst a deafening roar.

Terrified people cling to one another, trying to hold on through a storm of dust and debris.

At Maiquetía International Airport near the capital city of Caracas, ceiling structures have collapsed.

Citizens scream as they desperately scramble for safety.

[Wilmer Azuaje / Former Venezuelan National Assembly Member: It's shaking. It's shaking. Everything is destroyed.]

As the city shakes, building facades and roofs crumble, with citizens barely managing to escape.

Residents who were inside their homes have also rushed outside in panic.

The earthquakes struck the Caribbean coast of northern Venezuela at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time on June 24.

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake first struck 168 kilometers west of the capital, Caracas. Just 39 seconds later, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 occurred 45 kilometers from the epicenter of the first.

Huge clouds of dust were seen rising into the sky due to the powerful tremors that shook the city.

[Caracas Resident: The walls were shaking, and it felt like I was underwater. It was like being on a boat that was rocking in the water.]

The damage from the earthquakes was particularly severe in La Guaira State.

The interior of a luxury apartment complex on the coast was completely destroyed, leaving it in ruins, and a well-known local hotel also collapsed, along with dozens of other buildings.

The Venezuelan government has stated that at least 164 people have died and 971 have been injured so far.

Reported by Yu Deok-gi | Video by Kim Jun-hee | Graphics by Kim Han-gil