Terrifying new footage has laid bare the destructive power of the twin earthquakes that have devastated Venezuela, capturing the exact moment a towering residential building pancaked into the earth.The harrowing video, taken in the coastal state of La Guaira, highlights the sheer panic of the moment. Residents are seen fleeing a building before the intense force of the tremor throws them from their feet.In the chaotic clip, one man desperately attempts to help a young child outside, while another survivor is forced to clamber over a fallen person just to escape.In the background, a residential building collapses, throwing a massive dust cloud into the air.The footage has sparked an outpouring of horror on social media.“This is horrifying. Those poor people,” one user wrote.“The people inside that collapsed building never had a chance. It fell down almost instantly,” said another.“That is some insane footage … that parked car almost flipped over. It was up on two wheels. I have never seen that happen before.”‘Catastrophic’ aftermath: Aussies caught in the chaosThe devastating twin quakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck just seconds apart on Wednesday, tearing through the capital Caracas and heavily populated northern regions.The death toll has risen to at least 1,700, with tens of thousands missing.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed they are providing consular support to a small number of Australians caught up in the South American disaster. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the situation “catastrophic,” noting the massive loss of life and total infrastructure collapse.Looters step over the deadFor survivors in La Guaira — now a vast mountain of rubble — the nightmare didn’t end when the shaking stopped.The earth had barely settled before the looting began. Shocking videos circulating online show groups of people passing around boxes of appliances from collapsed stores. Worse still, locals allege that police and military personnel are using the chaos to steal from abandoned homes and even scavenge from the dead.“Is it fair that our people are devouring each other?” 71-year-old local Maria Esther Bernal told AFP. She revealed a merchant died in the supermarket next to her property, only for looters to desecrate the scene.“They were stepping over his body to loot,” she said. “They even took the wiring.”Another local, Gregory Carvajal, described scenes of utter madness. “We were removing bodies, and at that moment, they were looting. People were going crazy.”Outrage is also boiling over at the slow response from authorities. The government has heavily militarised the state, but locals say thieves are still siphoning fuel and impersonating emergency workers to access the ruins.