A Greek woman living in Venezuela has described the terrifying moments she experienced during the deadly earthquake that struck the country, as fears grow over the scale of the destruction and the number of people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Dina Antoniadi, a Greek lawyer and resident of Chacao, an area near the Venezuelan capital Caracas, said she was forced to leave her home after the building suffered major cracks and was considered unsafe.
She described scenes of panic as buildings collapsed nearby and residents were urged to move away from damaged structures.
“It was like a bombing had happened”
Speaking about the aftermath of the earthquake, Antoniadi said residents faced hours of uncertainty without electricity or a way to communicate.
“Everything fell on us. Televisions were destroyed, concrete collapsed, walls opened up. It was like a bombing had happened,” she said, describing the damage inside buildings.
She added that broken pipes caused water to flood areas, while security personnel and local authorities instructed people to leave the streets near damaged buildings.
“I was very scared. I am still shaking,” she said, adding that aftershocks continued to affect the area.
Residents told to stay away from damaged buildings
Antoniadi said she was eventually able to leave after about five hours and is now staying with relatives from the Greek community.
She said that those she had contacted from the Greek community were safe, but that residents had not yet fully understood the extent of the disaster.
She also warned that many people may have been inside their homes when the earthquake struck, as it happened while many were watching the World Cup.
