Twin earthquakes that rattled Venezuela this week have left nearly 1,500 people dead and tens of thousands still unaccounted for, officials said on Thursday.
Among the victims was the wife and two children of Lucas Trejo, a midfielder who plays for Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira, a second‑division team based in the coastal city of La Guaira.
A Family's Harrowing Search
Trejo arrived at the collapsed building on the third day of rescue operations, his face streaked with dust, and began pulling at debris with his bare hands, hoping to find his loved ones alive.
After an exhausting three‑day search, rescuers finally recovered the bodies of his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aaron and Ainhoa, from the shattered remains.
The scene was a stark reminder of the human toll, as families across the region grapple with loss and the slow, painful process of mourning.
International Rescue Effort
A U.S. search and rescue team from Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 managed to extract a mother and her nine‑month‑old baby from the rubble, underscoring the multinational response.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that the Venezuelan government is deploying a full response, but survivors have reported seeing few state rescue teams in the hardest‑hit areas.
Overall, about 200 people have been rescued, while roughly 51,000 remain missing, according to the latest figures released by local authorities.
Diana Sandrano, a relative of one of the missing, has been combing through the wreckage in La Guaira, pleading for any sign of her brother.