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Venezuelans experienced scenes of panic and destruction as magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck the country within seconds of each other on Wednesday. Caracas was among the hardest-hit areas, with rescue teams combing through the rubble of collapsed buildings as thousands of people were feared dead. Jesus Alejandro Pina, a 38-year-old engineer in Caracas, recounted the terrifying experience from the top floor of a seven-story building. "It was very, very strong," he told Al Jazeera, estimating the shaking lasted about a minute. "Glasses were breaking, pictures were falling, the television too. Everything was falling. The lamps, anything made of glass, even the columns and beams were making noise." Pina, understanding the structural dynamics, explained that while columns and beams absorb energy, prolonged shaking can lead to a breaking point and subsequent collapse. After the tremors ceased, thousands of frightened residents flooded the streets, encountering scenes of horror and devastation. "Everyone was in the streets, in the squares, outside their homes. People looked alert, nervous. There were many injured. Firefighters and paramedics were pulling people from under the rubble," Pina said.

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It was very, very strong. I don’t know exactly how long it lasted, but it felt like about a minute.