Maria Romero was in her apartment in La Castellana in the Venezuelan capital when the earthquakes struck on Wednesday evening local time. She told AFP news agency that she initially hesitated about what to do when the whole house started shaking.
For a second I thought I would take cover under the table. But I decided to get out.
La Castellana is located in a wealthier part of Caracas, with luxury offices and high-rise hotels. But unverified photos and videos now being posted on social media show partially demolished buildings and confused residents on streets filled with rubble.
“The whole wall cracked”
As in the neighboring Los Palos Grandes neighborhood, the scenes resemble those from 1967, the last time Caracas was hit by such a devastating earthquake. Hundreds of people died when tall buildings were completely destroyed.
When Wednesday's quake struck, 54-year-old Odalis Escalona was in one of the air-conditioned shopping malls where many Caracas residents spend much of their time to escape the heat outside. She describes how the entire complex began to crack.
"The stairs just fell away, the whole wall cracked," she tells AFP.
Things started falling from the ceiling. It was terrible.
Panic and devastation
Even in the shopping center, visitors were unsure of what to do, says 52-year-old Zenia González.
We waited for it to pass, and then ran down the escalator.
We had to wait because it was shaking too much. It lasted so long.
At the same time, there is evidence that Caracas is not the worst hit. The epicenter of the quake was about ten miles to the west, at the other end of a tourist-heavy coastal strip along the Caribbean Sea. There are fewer testimonies from tourist resorts such as Catia la Mar and Choroní, but the flow on social media indicates extensive damage.
Also down the coast is Caracas International Airport, known as Maiquetía. It was closed after the quake, and unconfirmed footage from there is being circulated showing panic and devastation.
