Venezuela Earthquake Survivors Describe Devastation: “Everything Collapsed”
Residents Share Chilling Accounts of Collapse
Venezuela earthquake survivors describe devastation – Following a series of powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, survivors shared harrowing experiences of destruction. Among them was Tony Frangie, a journalist who was trapped in an elevator in Caracas during the first tremor. He described the moment as “quite terrifying” in an interview with “CBS Mornings.” Frangie had been heading out to join friends for a World Cup match when the ground began shaking. “I began praying and repeatedly pressed the elevator buttons, hoping for it to respond,” he recounted. The elevator transported him to the basement, where he found the building still standing but the streets around it in chaos.
“We thank God because … we’re alive, but there are people right now suffering with their relatives buried, with their relatives crushed and they can’t get them out,” said Yilsmaris Blanco, a resident of Catia La Mar, where nearly 200 housing towers were reduced to rubble.
Quakes Triggered Widespread Panic and Aid Offers
Two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck west of Caracas, according to reports. These were the most intense tremors in Venezuela’s history in over a century, causing severe shaking felt as far as Colombia and Brazil. The tremors also prompted tsunami alerts, though no significant waves were recorded. La Guaira, a northern coastal state, bore the brunt of the damage, with at least 164 fatalities and over 900 injuries reported. The acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency as rescue teams combed through collapsed structures.
Residents like Antonio Bermudez described the chaos. “The shaking began all of a sudden,” Bermudez said. He managed to escape his building before it collapsed, taking shelter under a column. “I held onto the wall as the building started to come down,” he added, emphasizing the suddenness of the disaster.
Global Support and Unmet Needs
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the U.S. is sending search teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to Venezuela. He noted that the Trump administration prioritizes the immediate human impact of the quakes, even as they disrupt broader diplomatic efforts. “There are human beings that have been harmed, some killed, and others still trapped in rubble,” Rubio stated. “We’re focusing on that, not analyzing it through the lens of stabilization.”
Qatar and El Salvador also pledged assistance, according to Rubio. Meanwhile, Larry Rojas, a resident in the affected area, described his family’s plight. “We have nothing, right now we have nothing, not even the strength or courage to enter the building,” he told AFP. “Just imagine.” Without electricity or water, many are struggling to survive. “We need someone to send machinery to get into the rubble,” Rojas urged, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Northwestern University’s Emile Okal explained that the quakes occurred within a minute, leaving little time for people to escape. CBS News meteorologist Rob Marciano added that their shallow depth—around six miles—intensified the surface shaking. As the search for survivors continues, fear lingers in communities still standing. “We’re afraid it will collapse too,” said Jose Pacheco, operations chief of the United Rescue Group, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty and peril.
