Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, leaving residents terrified as buildings shook, walls cracked and rescue teams searched through collapsed structures.
Survivor Billy Ebrin said he feared for his life when the tremors hit his apartment in Caracas. He said pieces of concrete began falling from the walls while his dogs hid under beds in fear.
“I thought I was going to die. You could hear pieces of concrete breaking off the walls,” he recalled.
The earthquakes struck shortly after 6pm local time. The first measured 7.2 magnitude, followed by another 7.5 magnitude quake, causing widespread panic across several areas.
Residents rushed out of homes and spent the night sleeping in streets and cars after warnings not to return to damaged buildings. Some buildings collapsed into piles of concrete and twisted metal as emergency workers searched for survivors.
The hardest-hit area was La Guaira state, near Caracas, where several buildings were badly damaged.
Venezuela’s National Assembly reported that at least 188 people had died, while experts warned the final death toll could rise significantly.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez called for national unity and international support, saying the priority was saving lives. Several countries offered assistance, including Ecuador, Mexico, the United States, Qatar, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.
Families across Venezuela used social media platforms to search for missing relatives as communication networks were disrupted. Photos of missing children, parents and friends spread online as rescue efforts continued.
Some residents described terrifying moments during the disaster. Renny Vargas from Caracas said he struggled to stop part of a wall from falling on his father.
Another resident, Mairyn Cedeno, said objects fell inside her home and injured her leg as walls and appliances were damaged.
Engineers said the destruction was worsened by older buildings, weak infrastructure and years of limited maintenance. They explained that properly designed earthquake-resistant buildings should suffer damage but should not collapse.
Schools were closed, and Caracas metro services were suspended as authorities continued rescue operations. Some schools were turned into emergency shelters for displaced residents.
Officials warned that the country now faces a difficult challenge: rescuing survivors, treating the injured and assessing the full scale of the destruction.
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