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Rescuers Pull Man Alive From Rubble Eight Days After Venezuela Quakes
Teams from seven countries extracted a 43-year-old security guard from a collapsed building in Catia La Mar on July 2. The death toll stands at 2,595 with more than 12,400 injured and up to 50,000 people still missing.
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Rescue teams from seven countries freed a 43-year-old security guard from the rubble of a seven-story building in Catia La Mar on July 2, eight days after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela. The man, identified as Hernan Gil, was pulled out on a stretcher after crews worked around the clock for three days.
They supplied him with more than ten liters of water through a hose and installed an oxygen tube while clearing debris from the parking area and digging a three-meter tunnel.
Teams from Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico participated in the effort. A three-year-old boy was also found alive on June 30, six days after the quakes. The official death toll has risen to 2,595, with more than 12,400 people wounded.
President Delcy Rodriguez stated at a press conference on July 2 that 4,000 personnel were deployed within the first 24 hours and 11,000 within 48 hours. She said the government has no plans for mass graves. The World Food Programme appealed on June 30 for $50 million to feed 500,000 people for three months.
Officials report 13,000 people are homeless, with many sleeping in tents and facing shortages of food and water. Hospitals are operating beyond capacity, and health experts have warned of potential disease outbreaks. Many buildings in La Guaira have been marked with the letter D after searches found no survivors.
