Survivor recounts terror moment of powerful earthquakes in Venezuela

More than 20 aftershocks have been recorded in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck within seconds of each other in the country's north-central region on Wednesday, according to the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the two quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than one minute apart. In a preliminary estimate, the agency warned the death toll could potentially rise to between 10,000 and 100,000.

Micaela Ovelar, a survivor of the earthquakes, depicted the terrifying moment as a scene straight out of a horror movie.

"It was around 6:00 pm. Many families were at home because of the holiday. And I felt the first tremor, magnitude 7.2. Before I could even react, less than a minute later, a second one hit, even stronger, 7.5. The ground would not stop moving. You hear cars alarm; you hear the street crumble. You see people running from one place to another. The trees were shaking. It was a horror movie. Everyone was in panic," she said.

Ovelar said that the affected areas are now facing food supply problems, along with disruptions to electricity, water and internet services.

She hoped for support so that normal life can resume as soon as possible.

"Now Caracas and the whole country are in a state of emergency. Many places were damaged. The damage is, of course, catastrophic. Many buildings collapsed, crumbled. And there were many people that unfortunately, are looking for their families because there are missing people. We have problems with food supply. We have problems with water, with electricity. The internet is inexistent or very very weak. So, it is very hard to communicate. We are really trying to get (back) to normal, but we don't know exactly when that is gonna happen," she said.

The Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport, Venezuela's largest airport near the capital city, was severely damaged by the earthquakes. It has remained closed, with all commercial flights canceled.

Survivor recounts terror moment of powerful earthquakes in Venezuela

Survivor recounts terror moment of powerful earthquakes in Venezuela

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday said the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement signed earlier in the day in Washington marked the beginning of the path toward restoring Lebanon's full sovereignty, vowing to continue working until the process is completed.

In a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun said the agreement represents the first step toward enabling displaced Lebanese to return to their land, stressing that Lebanon would no longer accept occupation.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Israel and Lebanon have reached a U.S.-brokered framework agreement for "lasting peace and security."

In a statement, he described the agreement as establishing a clear, structured process to restore Lebanese sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its infrastructure, while ensuring Israel returns to its border once threats to citizens are removed.

A U.S.-facilitated Lebanese tripartite military coordination group will also be set up to help both sides implement the framework, he said.

In a televised speech on Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Hezbollah and its supporters are now facing a "war of extermination". He also noted that Israel must fully and unconditionally withdraw from all Lebanese territory and halt all air, land and sea aggression.

Lebanese president vows to advancing accord with Israel to restore sovereignty