Father and Two Sons Rescued from Venezuela Rubble While Quake Death Toll Exceeds 3,300

Two earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, collapsing an 11-storey apartment building in Caraballeda and trapping residents in the basement. Jose Garcia, 46, and his sons Diego, 7, and Santiago, 12, were rescued at about 3:30 p.m. on June 25 after more than 20 hours.

Jesus Garcia, 26, a former firefighter, reached the site that evening and learned from a colleague that his father and brothers were alive. " Jesus replied, "Trust me: Stay calm. Keep the kids calm over there.

A specialist police squad arrived with a jackhammer the next morning. Jesus and former colleagues from La Guaira used the equipment to free the three at the Ritasol Palace site. Argentinian rescuers surveyed the debris during the operation.

Al Jazeera reported that more than 3,342 people have been confirmed dead as of July 5. The Venezuelan government stated that 856 buildings were damaged and 190 collapsed. More than 50,000 people remain missing.

Jan Costa, a psychiatrist treating survivors in Caracas, said many Venezuelans view the government's disaster response as inadequate. "The fact that there's no response from the government or government presence in the face of the crisis really upsets people," Costa said.

Andreina Rey reported that her daughter, grandchildren, daughter's mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law are among those missing.

Jose Garcia said his wife remains unaccounted for beneath the rubble.