Twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela; global help mobilized

Back-to-back powerful earthquakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck northern Venezuela within less than a minute of each other, collapsing structures in the capital city of Caracas and leaving a trail of widespread destruction. Preliminary assessments from emergency management personnel confirm that at least 164 people have died and 971 have been injured, ranking this as the most destructive seismic event to strike the country in more than a century.