Six days after twin quakes hit Venezuela, rescuers pull three-year-old alive from rubble as death toll tops 1,900
Jordanian rescuers pulled a three-year-old boy alive from a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, six days after two powerful earthquakes struck west of Caracas. The death toll has risen to 1,943, with more than 10,000 injured and tens of thousands still missing.
A Jordanian rescue team pulled three-year-old Klieber Morán alive from the debris of a collapsed building in the state of La Guaira on Tuesday, six days after two devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela. The civil defence team provided first aid on site before transporting the boy to a hospital in Caracas, where his condition was reported as stable.
Es un momento de esperanza.
The quakes
Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck only 39 seconds apart on 24 June, west of the capital Caracas. Dozens of aftershocks followed. The National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez said on Tuesday that more than 1,900 bodies had been recovered, while the government later updated the death toll to 1,943. More than 10,500 people were injured, and the UN says thousands remain missing.
- Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 strike western Caracas 39 seconds apart, followed by dozens of aftershocks.
- Ecuadorian firefighters rescue a 12-year-old boy from the rubble five days after the quakes.
- Jordanian team rescues 3-year-old Klieber Morán in La Guaira after six days.
- Salvadorian rescuers reach a 44-year-old man under a shopping centre in Maiquetía and provide water; rescue efforts continue.
- A dog named Giselle is rescued in Caraballeda by Salvadorian team after a five-hour operation.
The rescues
Beyond the boy, international teams reached other survivors in the past two days. On Monday, Ecuadorian firefighters rescued a 12-year-old boy. Salvadorian rescuers located a 44-year-old man under a shopping centre in the coastal town of Maiquetía on Tuesday morning and were supplying water through a hose as the operation continued. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador also reported that his country’s team freed a dog named Giselle after a five-hour effort in Caraballeda.
Jorge Rodríguez noted that while search teams had rescued 6,400 people, the true number of survivors likely approaches 20,000 when counting those who escaped on their own or with help from friends and family. “From one moment to the next our lives changed,” said 18-year-old vendor Daniela Armas from La Guaira, who was injured when she fell from a motorcycle during the quakes. “Sometimes people almost kill each other for food... it’s like a cockfight.”
- Deaths
- 1943
- Injuries
- 10500
- Buildings damaged/destroyed (NASA estimate)
- 58870
- Rescued by search teams
- 6400
- Total survivors (est.)
- 20000
Humanitarian situation
The UNHCR warned on Tuesday that food shortages are widespread, basic services have collapsed, and communications are nearly cut off in La Guaira. “Community tensions are rising as access to aid remains limited,” the agency said. It requested an initial $15 million to provide protection, essential items, and temporary shelter for 30,000 quake-affected people over six months. The World Health Organization noted that health services were under severe strain.
Damage assessment
An initial NASA satellite data analysis estimated that 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed. Earlier official figures had put the number of completely destroyed or severely damaged structures at 855. The USGS earthquake monitoring service modelled that fatalities could run into the tens of thousands.
