When the ground began to shake beneath her feet, Gabriella Suarez was doing what she does almost every day: livestreaming herself playing video games to thousands of viewers around the world.
Read more Man accused of stabbing partner 34 times in Miami faces attempted murder charge
Moments later, her audience was witnessing something neither she nor they could have imagined.
“It’s shaking,” Suarez says during the livestream before abruptly stopping.
Within seconds, she leaves the room as the powerful earthquake rocks her home outside Caracas.
“When I realized what was happening, I basically left the room because this is the worst room to be in,” Suarez said. “A lot of stuff could fall on my head.”
The video has become one of the many personal accounts emerging from Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the country, killing nearly 1,000 people and injuring more than 3,000. Rescue crews continue searching through collapsed buildings while families, many lacking heavy equipment, have joined desperate efforts to find loved ones trapped beneath the rubble.
Suarez said she and her father immediately ran outside to what they believed was a safer location.
Read more Mom arrested after child found wandering alone and looking for food, police say
“I think it was a complete shock as soon as we realized what we had just lived through,” she said.
“A lot of people were trying to communicate with their families, and they couldn’t,” Suarez said. “That’s when we started seeing images and videos from other cities that were deeply affected — buildings collapsed, and a lot of people needed help.”
She said the shaking felt unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“It felt like quicksand beneath my feet,” she recalled.
In the hours that followed, the full scope of the disaster became painfully clear.
“The next hours were awful,” Suarez said. “A lot of people lost their homes. A lot of people are still under parts of buildings and debris. Family, friends and colleagues — some passed away, some lost their homes, some lost their families. I feel like everyone you know in Venezuela currently has someone who has been affected.”
Now, Suarez is using her online platform to help others recover. With more than 300,000 followers on Twitch, she is raising awareness and encouraging donations for victims of the disaster.
Read more Mother says she’s rebuilding her life after COVID insanity defense ruling