Published on 6/27/2026
|
Last update: 21:10 (Mecca time)
Among the rubble of collapsed residential buildings as a result of the two devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela, and in a frantic race against time, Venezuelans are digging through the rubble in search of their loved ones stranded in light of a severe shortage of aid provided by the government.
The situation became more difficult three days after the two devastating earthquakes, as the feeling of despair among the population to find survivors worsened over time, while the Venezuelan authorities estimate the number of people missing or stranded in the hundreds.
However, although the scale of the disaster still exceeds the available capabilities due to the lack of equipment necessary to speed up the search for those trapped, effective rescue operations have emerged for children and women who were stuck for long hours under the rubble of buildings.
“Save my sister”
Stuck under the rubble of the basement of the “Mediterranean” building in the stricken area of Tanaguarina, a young man appeared in a video clip – circulated by activists on social media platforms – issuing an emotional distress call after he was surrounded by concrete blocks and suffered a fracture in one of his ribs.
Despite his injury, the young man did not ask for help for himself, but rather directed his appeal to those who rushed to the place, saying, “I am not asking that you save me…just save my 7-year-old sister and my 73-year-old grandmother.”
A video clip posted by a local activist on the Instagram platform, yesterday morning, Friday, documented the moments when a girl was pulled alive from the rubble of one of the collapsed buildings in Venezuela, hours after she remained trapped as a result of the two earthquakes that struck the country.
The scenes showed members of the rescue teams pulling the girl with difficulty from the rubble, amid cheers and applause from those present, after the teams were able to miraculously reach and rescue her.
In a scene that sparked widespread interaction on social media platforms, cheers and applause rose from the people gathered above the rubble of a 12-story building, the moment the rescue teams succeeded in extracting a living girl from under the rubble.
Rescue teams sent by El Salvador succeeded in extricating a woman (39 years old) alive after she was stuck for 7 hours on the sixth floor when the building collapsed.
Time is running out
In the coastal city of La Guaira, adjacent to the capital, Caracas, which is among the most affected areas, with the collapse of at least 100 buildings, including high-rise residential buildings, citizens are racing against time to save their stranded loved ones.
Although many buildings were reduced to mere piles of rubble, Marlon Ochoa survived certain death after the building in which he lived collapsed.
He said, “I am looking for my mother, my wife, and my son under the rubble. We urgently need help. There are survivors, but the authorities are not providing us with the necessary tools to extract them.”
In front of a group of five collapsed buildings in La Guaira, the head of the Chilean rescue team, Nadiomar Polanco, said: “Unfortunately, the chances of finding survivors have become slim.”
In the same devastated city, with the passage of time and limited government aid, the young man, Alessandro Del Giudice (23 years old), kept crying while trying to find his father under a pile of rubble, saying, “He is there.”
Not far from him, Yamileth Jimenez was clearing away rubble and stones with her delicate hands, searching for her 19-year-old son.
Her heart makes her feel that he is still alive under the rubble of her 7-story residential building, saying, “He is under the rubble, and there is no equipment to get him out.”
Motorcycles
Venezuelans took the initiative to provide emergency aid to earthquake victims, as convoys of motorcycles loaded with supplies arrived in La Guaira yesterday evening, Friday, from Caracas.
A group of motorcycle drivers in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, contributed to transporting relief aid and basic food supplies to the coastal city of La Guaira.
Dozens traveled on motorcycles throughout the night from the city of Valencia, carrying food and supplies, in a rapid response to help those affected by the earthquake that struck the region.
A tragic toll
On Wednesday evening, local time, Venezuela was subjected to a double earthquake series, as the US Geological Survey announced that an earthquake measuring 7.2 degrees was followed only 39 seconds later by a main tremor measuring 7.5 degrees.
Its epicenter was located near the city of Moron in the state of Carabobo on the northern coast, while the effects of the earthquake extended to the capital, Caracas.
According to the latest data from the “Let’s Reunite Every Family” platform dedicated to reporting missing persons, the number of reports has risen to 67,53 people, while 54,463 people are still without contact with their families.
Despite the diminishing chances of finding survivors with the passage of time, the difficult conditions, and the lack of equipment, local and international relief teams continue to search for thousands of missing people and those trapped under the rubble.
According to official figures, the death toll from the two earthquakes rose to 920 people.
