Viral videos capture blast in Venezuela's Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro declares national emergency | Today News

Viral videos showing explosions lighting up the night sky over Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, triggered panic early Saturday, as President Nicolás Maduro declared a national emergency and ordered the mobilisation of defence forces.

A US official told news agency Reuters that the United States had carried out strikes inside Venezuela, after a series of loud explosions rocked Caracas following months of escalating rhetoric by US President Donald Trump against the Maduro government. Venezuelan authorities alleged that the attacks targeted both civilian and military installations, an accusation that Washington has not officially confirmed.

According to the Venezuelan government, explosions were also reported in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. In a statement, officials described the incidents as “military aggression” and said strategic sites across multiple regions had been hit, prompting emergency measures and heightened security nationwide.

Blasts were heard across Caracas from around 2.00 am local time (0600 GMT) for nearly 90 minutes, Reuters witnesses reported. Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of black smoke, flashes of orange light and low-flying aircraft over the city. In several clips, residents can be heard gasping and reacting in fear as explosions echoed in the distance.

“My love, oh no, look at that,” a woman said in one viral video as smoke rose over the city skyline.

CNN reported that the first explosion occurred at around 1.50 am. At least seven loud blasts were heard, accompanied by air sirens and helicopters overhead. Several neighbourhoods experienced power outages, forcing residents onto the streets amid confusion and alarm.

“There was one blast so strong that my window was shaking,” CNN correspondent Osmary Hernández said. Reuters also reported smoke rising near a major military base in the southern part of Caracas.

Some media outlets, citing sources, said US strikes may have targeted Venezuelan military facilities. CBS News reported that President Trump had ordered attacks on sites inside Venezuela as part of an intensified campaign against the Maduro administration. The strikes come amid a significant US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and other warships in the Caribbean.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have remained high, with Trump repeatedly labelling the Maduro-led government a “narco-terrorist” regime. The US has imposed sanctions on vessels accused of transporting Venezuelan oil and has stepped up operations against boats it alleges are involved in drug trafficking.

Trump has also accused Venezuela of contributing to illegal migration into the US, claiming that criminals and prisoners were being sent across the border — allegations that Caracas has consistently denied.

Shortly before the explosions, the US Federal Aviation Administration banned American commercial flights from operating in Venezuelan airspace, citing concerns over “ongoing military activity,” the Associated Press reported.

In response to the unfolding situation, the US Embassy in Bogotá issued a travel advisory urging American citizens not to travel to Venezuela. Those currently in the country were advised to shelter in place and leave as soon as it is safe to do so. The advisory reiterated that Venezuela remains under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning, citing risks such as wrongful detention, crime, civil unrest and the lack of consular assistance. The US withdrew all diplomatic personnel from its Caracas embassy in March 2019.

President Maduro, addressing the nation, said Venezuela would defend its sovereignty and called for national unity, even as authorities continued to assess the full extent of the damage and casualties from the overnight explosions.