Kathmandu. Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, has been quiet and deserted since the US invasion.

The smell of the explosion still permeated the city after the military operation in the early hours of Saturday, and terrified residents were seen trying to understand the impact of the incident.

A few hundred supporters of President Nicolás Maduro gathered to demand his release, but most of the city’s streets were unusually empty. Maria Eugenio Escobar, a 58-year-old resident of the city of 6 million people, said she felt “emotional” as she woke up from her sleep by the explosion.

Dozens of explosions were heard at around 2 a.m. local time. The sounds, initially thought by some to be fireworks, shook windows and showed military planes flying over the house. A resident in the Koche area, near Caracas’ main military base, said the plane’s noise was “frightening”.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from various parts of the city and the atmosphere was shrouded in mist. Witnesses said the bombing also took place in La Guaira, where the airport and port is located, Maracaya in the west and Higuerote in the east.

Supporters gathered in the capital and chanted slogans after news broke that Maduro had been captured by US special forces and taken to New York after the attack. University professor Katia Briseno said it was “unacceptable” for a foreign government to remove the president.

Apart from the protesters, there was very little movement of people in the city. Black-clad security guards were patrolling the central area with weapons. Many shops were closed, while some opened only a limited number of customers were allowed in.

The damage caused by the blast was mainly confined to military structures. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said residential areas had also been attacked.