Rescue teams and civilians in La Guaira, one of Venezuela’s hardest-hit areas, search through collapsed buildings along the northern coast after two earthquakes on Wednesday measuring 7.2 and 7.5. In the days after the quake, responders largely found no signs of life under the heavy rubble, which resembles other ruins across the region. However, on Sunday, rescue workers reported unexpected movement from beneath a mountain of concrete debris. A man, pulled from a hole by teams from Venezuela, France, and Virginia, is removed from the structure after being trapped for four days. Rescuers carry him from the site and provide immediate medical assistance, including an IV.
Separately, survivor Juan Zapata recounts being thrown across his apartment after the twin quakes while he was preparing to shower. He says he spent about two days and seven hours trapped in the rubble before civilian rescuers pulled him free. Zapata describes initial treatment at a public hospital in La Guaira followed by recovery care at a field hospital run by Samaritan’s Purse, where he is treated for fractured ribs and cuts.
