Rescuers in Venezuela pulled a 44-year-old security guard from the rubble of a collapsed shopping mall more than a week after two powerful earthquakes struck the country's northern coast, offering a rare moment of hope amid widespread devastation.
Survivor Found After Eight Days
Hernan Alberto Gil was trapped in the nine-story Galerias Playa Grande shopping center in La Guaira state. According to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who posted updates on X, rescue teams from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Venezuela worked to save him. Rescuers provided hydration via tubing and had to dig two separate tunnels due to unstable ruins.
Gil was carried out on a stretcher on Thursday morning and loaded into an ambulance as onlookers cheered. His wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, said, "I'm grateful to God for keeping him alive for so many days. He endured it all like a warrior."
Earthquake Death Toll and Missing
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck less than a minute apart on June 24, killing 2,295 people, according to government figures. An unofficial online list of missing persons showed about 38,600 still missing on Thursday, down from a peak of nearly 60,000. A United Nations envoy said it was procuring 10,000 body bags, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimated more than 10,000 deaths were possible. Catastrophe risk modeling firm Verisk expects economic losses to top $10 billion.
Humanitarian Aid and Response
Venezuela had received 2,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid from other countries as of Thursday, according to the foreign ministry. The response has been led by civilians, many volunteers, who have dug with hands, shovels, and pickaxes. Soldiers also volunteered alongside civilians in collapsed housing projects. Rescuers have complained about a lack of heavy machinery to move concrete slabs.
Oil Minister Paula Henao said diesel was sent from the Paraguana refining complex to La Guaira for rescue use. Authorities inspected state-run PDVSA's Catia La Mar fuel terminal for damage.
Medical and Shelter Efforts
At a hospital in Vargas municipality, the flow of patients has eased. Beds and mattresses that filled areas outside the emergency ward have thinned. Patients requiring specialized care are transferred to Caracas. A Brazilian Navy field hospital set up five tents near the beach, including an intensive care unit and pharmacy, treating 180 people by Thursday. Commander Leonel Mariano said, "We are coordinating buses to bring people here from the shelters." Doctors converted a McDonald's in La Guaira into a makeshift health center, treating about 200 patients daily with 100 rotating physicians.
Glints of Hope
Mexican rescue teams pulled a dog named "Sarita" alive from rubble after her owner heard noises. She was located by a military search team and a rescue dog named Kai, then reunited with her owner, who said the rescue gave him hope his missing daughter might be found alive.
Compounding Crisis
The World Health Organization said the earthquakes compounded an already severe humanitarian crisis and strained the health system. Healthcare workers were among victims, affecting the medical response, said WHO incident manager Ian Clark. The presence of security forces at collapsed buildings has sparked anger, with social media videos showing officials taking clothes, appliances, and cash. The Interior Ministry said four crime scene police officials were detained for "appropriating financial assets amid the ruins."
