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Security guard rescued after eight days; earthquakes leave 2,595 dead and thousands missing
Hernán Gil was freed from 140 tonnes of debris in Catia La Mar more than 100 hours after rescuers first located him. Venezuela's acting president visited him in hospital and described the June 24 quakes as a tragedy on an unforeseen scale.
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A security guard named Hernán Gil was rescued alive on Thursday after spending eight days trapped in the rubble of a collapsed parking structure in Catia La Mar, Venezuela. Emergency teams freed him more than 100 hours after first detecting his voice under 140 tonnes of debris.
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Gil had been on duty inside a small concrete booth in the basement of the lot next to the Galerias Playa Grande mall when twin earthquakes struck on 24 June.
The booth formed a protective shell that shielded him from the collapse. Rescuers from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States took part in the operation. Parts of the access ducts they built collapsed several times during the effort.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez visited Gil in hospital on Thursday and called him a "living miracle" in a video posted on social media. At a press conference the same day she described the earthquakes as "a natural tragedy on a scale we never imagined" and rejected criticism of the government's response speed, saying thousands of officials had been deployed.
"We've done everything in our power, and we'll continue to do everything in our power and more," Rodríguez stated.
Allan Madrigal, a Costa Rican Red Cross paramedic, heard Gil's faint cries on Sunday and later said the survivor "emerged just perfect" from the ordeal. " Marco Antonio Franco of the Mexican Red Cross said Gil asked for specific-flavour hydration drinks and recognised individual team members by name.
As of Thursday evening, 2,595 people are confirmed dead from the earthquakes and tens of thousands remain missing.
