At least 188 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured after powerful back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela, according to the latest reports.
The quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit a minute apart. The second was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900.
One man in Caracas says it felt like “the world was moving for a long time”, while Leander tells the BBC he slept on the street after his home was damaged in the quakes
The US Geological Survey says thousands of people could have been killed in total.
Residents living in the Venezuelan capital Caracas found themselves trapped in locations such as the 18th floor of their tower block or the fourth floor of a car park basement when the earthquake struck.
Jesus Armas had been at home with his father, who is a cancer patient, and his mother 18 storeys up when a large building opposite began “moving from one side to another”.
“We were just trapped inside the building,” he tells the BBC’s World Service, explaining: “There were buildings collapsing everywhere in Caracas.”
Armas’ father was unable to walk down the stairs, and the lift was not working as there was no power – meaning the family had to wait to get out to safety.
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Meanwhile, Alirio Hernandez was four storeys underground in a basement car park when the pillars of the building began to shake.
When he eventually managed to drive out, nearby security guards explained there were cracks in the building and tiles had dropped off.
The Trump administration has announced further details about the rapid response resources it is sending to Venezuela.
The Department of State is deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team that includes two specialised urban search and rescue teams focused on locating and reaching survivors.
Additionally, the US is mobilising $150m (£113.6m) in assistance to Venezuela through its partners including the International Medical Corps and the World Food Programme, as well as a $100m contribution to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Venezuela pooled fund.
The administration has also launched a task force based out of Washington to coordinate assistance and get help to Americans affected by the earthquakes.
The defence department is also deploying military assets, including fixed and rotor-wing aircraft, to support search and rescue efforts.
“Our mission is clear: save lives and rapidly deliver critical aid where it is most needed,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says in a statement. “The United States is committed to our hemisphere. When the lives of our friends are on the line, America moves.”
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has met with the army’s general staff to coordinate urgent relief measures for La Guaira state, the area worst hit by the earthquakes.
They will mobilise state security forces as well as heavy machinery to remove large number of debris.
They also agreed to open priority routes for rescue efforts, and organise support logistics for water, food, blankets, and mattresses for people who lost their homes.
BBC
