Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, hitting just 39 seconds apart. The larger one measured 7.5 on the magnitude scale—one of the strongest earthquakes the country has experienced in recorded history. Buildings collapsed across Caracas, the capital, and La Guaira, a major port city. Rescue workers are searching through rubble, and the government declared a state of emergency, AP News reported.

The 7.5 earthquake occurred 28 km southeast of a town called Yumare, very close to the surface—just 10 km down, according to USGS. Why does that matter? When earthquakes happen near the surface, the shaking reaches people and buildings with almost no time to weaken. It's like the difference between a loud speaker right in front of you versus one far away. USGS estimated that about 7.75 million people felt strong shaking, and roughly 29,000 experienced violent shaking. These numbers give us a sense of how much damage to expect.

The Damage on the Ground

Several buildings came down in La Guaira, which is Venezuela's connection to shipping routes and trade with the Caribbean, BBC News reported. Rescue workers in Caracas and La Guaira pulled survivors from collapsed buildings by hand, a sign that heavy machinery had not yet arrived at many sites. In one hopeful moment, three young children were rescued alive from the rubble in La Guaira, according to BBC.

The fact that two earthquakes hit so close together—just 39 seconds apart—made the danger worse. When the first earthquake hit, people had no time to run outside before the second, much larger one struck. That means more people were trapped inside buildings when the worst shaking began.

What This Means Historically

A 7.5 earthquake is rare for Venezuela. USGS records show the strongest earthquake in Venezuela since 1900 was a 7.7 in 1900 itself. Wednesday's earthquake is nearly as strong as that one—happening to a city that is now much larger and more crowded than it was over 120 years ago.

The damage bill could be large. USGS estimates suggest losses between 1 and 7 percent of Venezuela's economy, though Venezuela's economy has been struggling for years already, making recovery harder. The country will need help rebuilding, and finding the money for that will be difficult.

What Happens Now

Rescue teams have about 72 hours to find people alive in collapsed buildings. After that, the chances of finding survivors drop sharply. Getting help to people and clearing rubble depends partly on La Guaira's port staying open—it's how the city gets supplies. If that port is damaged for a long time, it will slow down relief efforts for everyone.