Miraculous Rescues Amid Devastation
Two 11-year-old boys were pulled alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings in Venezuela on Saturday, 85 hours after a series of powerful earthquakes devastated the country. The rescues offered a glimmer of hope amid a disaster that has killed at least 1,430 people and left 68,900 missing, according to officials.
Astonishing footage showed the first boy, named Moises, emerging from twisted debris in the coastal town of La Guaira. Rescuers erupted in applause as he shielded his eyes from the sun. Hours later, interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced the rescue of another 11-year-old boy in Caraballeda, sharing video of him being carried down a mound of wreckage on a stretcher. Rodríguez wrote: "In these hours, every life is hope for Venezuela."
Back-to-Back Quakes of 7.2 and 7.5 Magnitude
The earthquakes struck on Wednesday, with the first 7.2-magnitude tremor hitting at 6:04 p.m. local time (11:04 p.m. UK), followed 38 seconds later by a 7.5-magnitude quake. The epicenters were 85 miles west of Caracas, but the immense power caused widespread damage and casualties in the capital. The quakes were the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900.
Rescuers have been working tirelessly, with some families digging through debris by hand. According to the BBC, survivors can be heard calling from under rubble, but heavy concrete slabs prevent access until heavy machinery arrives. Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said Moises was buried under about 3 meters (9.8 feet) of debris, and a rescue team spent six hours conducting "high-precision work" to reach him.
Aftershocks Hamper Efforts
Rescue operations have been hampered by aftershocks, which terrify residents. "To be honest, it makes you feel kind of nervous. Any little noise... horrible," Jesús Andueza, a 64-year-old bus driver, told BBC Mundo. Thousands are living in cars or camping at airports and golf courses to avoid collapsing buildings.
The coastal region of La Guaira, including Caraballeda, has been hit hardest. Reports emerged that Moises was found near his sister and mother, who had both died.
British Rescue Team Stranded in Madrid
A British crisis-response volunteer team from the charity Serve On has been stuck at Madrid airport for over 24 hours, unable to reach Caracas. The 11-person team, including one dog, possesses seismic and acoustic equipment to detect movement of deeply buried victims. Team leader Vernon Young, 57, said: "These things are always time critical. We're a light team and can move quickly. The sooner you get there, the more chance you have of saving lives."
Simon Bolivar International Airport, Caracas's only international airport, was damaged by the quakes, severely affecting travel. The team has been stranded since 9 p.m. on Friday after connecting flights from Istanbul and Madrid were cancelled. Young added: "We still believe we will make a decent contribution if we get there in the next day or two."
International Response
UN official Tom Fletcher said on Saturday that 39 search-and-rescue teams, each of 50 to 100 people, had been deployed worldwide. "You're looking at almost 2,000 people surging in, 111 dogs, medical teams as well. We go in with these micro drones, they call them cockroach drones, that help us find people in the buildings," Fletcher said.
