Panic in Caracas after 7.2-magnitude earthquake, residents: “We were trapped, help us!”

A powerful earthquake has spread panic in Caracas, Venezuela, while several citizens were left trapped in damaged apartments and called for rescue teams to intervene.

Among them was Martha Añez, a resident of the Venezuelan capital, who described the moments of anxiety when she was unable to leave her home. “I leaned over the balcony shouting: ‘We are trapped! We need help! Please, someone come!’,” she said.

Añez said that after the first tremor, two more followed, lasting up to 90 seconds, although for residents they felt much longer. “Everything seemed endless. We could not get out. We heard banging and people trying to rescue us,” she said.

According to her, the first three floors of the building where she lived suffered severe damage and were almost completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, rescue teams continued checks and searches in the affected areas, as residents recounted the fear and uncertainty they experienced after the seismic tremors.