The shallow earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and striking just 40 seconds apart Wednesday, were the strongest to hit the South American country in more than a century and the deadliest in decades, Xinhua news agency reported.

They devastated parts of the country's central coast and the capital Caracas, triggering widespread building collapses, power and communications outages, while raising fears of further destruction from continuing aftershocks.

Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez told a press conference Thursday that about 200 people remained trapped under rubble. "We are racing against time in the hope of rescuing as many people as possible," Rodriguez said.

The earthquakes were both shallow, occurring at a depth of just 10 km, allowing much of their energy to be released near the surface. The two strong shocks struck less than a minute apart, while repeated aftershocks have increased the risk of secondary building collapses.

The epicenters' proximity to Caracas, one of the country's most densely populated areas, further amplified its destruction.