Shell-shocked residents in a northern Venezuelan port city which was targeted by the U.S. military have recounted the terrifying moments when the bombings hit their local community.
The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before putting them in custody in New York.
Venezuela's interior ministry said on Wednesday that 100 people were killed in the attacks which have drawn widespread international condemnation and raised serious concerns worldwide.
Catia La Mar, a port city in the state of La Guaira to the north of the capital Caracas, was one of the places hit by the U.S. military strikes. Residents there have been left grappling with anxiety and fear since the overnight bombings took place, with many left traumatized by the ordeal.
"Where we were attacked, one of our buildings suffered severe damage. Eight of the 16 families were severely affected. There were people injured and one person dead. Well, that's an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. We were sleeping and we suddenly felt something -- first noises, then whooshing sounds, and then explosions. We thought the buildings were going to fall onto us," said a local resident.
Others described the sense of panic as they were awoken during the night and said they ran for their lives.
"The moment the missile hit, I turned around in despair and what I saw was an orange sky. The whole building collapsed around us; we couldn't get out. We got up. We couldn't even see through the smoke. We grabbed the dogs, we got out through a small hole and we started calling for help," said a resident.
"It was a horrible thing. It was two in the morning, everyone was sleeping. We never expected any of this; it's truly a very sad thing. I am filled with rage because I feel helpless. Right now we all feel nervous, we can hardly sleep at night because every noise we hear, we feel like an explosion is coming," another resident said.
Residents recall harrowing moments when US bombs hit Venezuelan port city
Residents recall harrowing moments when US bombs hit Venezuelan port city
China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.
The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.
Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.
Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.
The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.
"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.
China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth
