Father and Son Pulled Alive from Rubble After Four Days
A father and his son have been rescued alive after spending four days trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela. The pair were pulled to safety on Sunday after a 12-hour operation by search teams in the coastal state of La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the twin quakes on Wednesday.
Death Toll Rises to 1,450 as Search Continues
The death toll from the earthquakes has now climbed to at least 1,450, according to officials. Thousands more have been injured, and tens of thousands remain missing as rescuers continue to search for survivors. Emergency crews prepared intravenous drips for the father and son before lifting them to safety, while other teams searched nearby collapsed buildings for further signs of life.
International Rescue Teams Coordinate Complex Operation
Rescuers used specialist search cameras to locate the pair before carefully removing unstable rubble to reach them. The operation involved French Civil Security teams alongside members of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team from Virginia in the United States. A member of the French Civil Security said: "They are extremely weak, as any patient trapped under rubble for four days would be. We are doing everything possible to rehydrate them and administer various medications during the extraction process, which is moving very slowly."
Previous Rescues Include Mother and Baby, Two Boys
The same international team rescued a mother and her nine-month-old baby from the rubble on Saturday. Both are understood to have sustained only minor injuries. Two 11-year-old boys were also rescued in separate operations over the weekend. One of the boys, named Moises, emerged from the remains of his home to applause from rescuers after spending days trapped beneath the rubble. At least 33 people have been rescued over the weekend, but hopes of finding more survivors are fading as the search enters its fifth day.
