Caracas was shaken on Wednesday afternoon by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, followed by a 7.5 aftershock, and numerous buildings were damaged as residents moved into the streets and some areas lost power. By evening, many Venezuelans were still outside their homes while rescue teams searched rubble for trapped people.
Verónica in Los Palos Grandes
Valentina Oropeza received a WhatsApp audio from her sister Verónica at 6:06 p.m. Caracas time. Verónica said, "Acaba de temblar horrible, está temblando todavía" and "El apartamento se quebró todo. Esto fue fortísimo", a direct sign of how long the shaking lingered for people inside damaged homes in Los Palos Grandes and elsewhere in Caracas.
EE.UU. offers help to Venezuela
Donald Trump said EE.UU. was ready, willing and able to help Venezuela, and he wrote on Truth Social that the two earthquakes had left a devastating number of fatalities. Trump also said, "He dado instrucciones a todas las agencias de nuestro gobierno para que se preparen para actuar con rapidez. Estaremos ahí para nuestros nuevos y maravillosos amigos. ¡Los primeros informes no son buenos!"
Caracas damage and evacuation
The government asked citizens to evacuate affected homes while damage and risk were being evaluated, and residents in Caracas stayed in the streets after their homes shook and the power was cut. Photos taken after the tremors showed that scene across the capital, while authorities feared a high number of victims and continued assessing the full extent of the damage.
That gap between what was visible in Caracas and what had not yet been counted left the response tied to a basic question: how many people were killed or injured in Caracas and elsewhere after the earthquakes? Until that is established, the most immediate practical step for residents is to stay out of damaged homes and follow evacuation instructions while officials check structures and search rubble.
