Venezuelan authorities have begun demolishing buildings in the state of La Guaira, the region worst hit by last month’s twin earthquakes.
The quakes on June 24 killed over 5,500 people and caused 190 buildings to collapse, according to official figures, while 856 more were damaged.
Soldiers cordoned off the area on Thursday before using dynamite to blast the first ruined building apart — a 12-storey residential tower that had partially collapsed and was slanting toward the street.
Housewife Yenith Salcedo said she “felt horrible” upon feeling the blast.
“I was still at home. It was an overwhelmingly intense sensation,” the 66-year-old said, who had received a community WhatsApp message to warn her about the explosion.
