Hope in the rubble: boy, 11, pulled alive from Venezuela earthquake debris after 3 days as death toll passes 1,400
Rescuers in Venezuela pulled an 11-year-old boy alive from collapsed buildings in the coastal town of Caraballeda, a rare moment of hope three days after catastrophic earthquakes killed at least 1,430 people and left 50,000 missing.
A child's rescue lifts spirits
Three days after earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela on 24 June, rescue teams extracted an 11-year-old boy from the rubble in Caraballeda, near Caracas. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced the rescue on social media, posting a video of the moment.
The rescue added to other survival stories: a newborn of 18 days found after 12 hours, a man named Miguel extracted on his birthday, and a woman who gave birth without electricity amid the debris.A few minutes ago, an 11-year-old boy was pulled out alive in Caraballeda. At this moment, every life is a source of hope for Venezuela.
Casualties mount as search enters critical hours
The official death toll rose to 1,430, with 3,238 injured and around 50,000 people still unaccounted for, according to the interim government. The United Nations estimates economic damage equivalent to 6% of Venezuela's GDP. With the crucial 72-hour window for finding survivors closing, hundreds of buildings remain unsearched. Thousands of volunteers have mobilised across the country, some digging with their bare hands.
- Deaths
- 1430
- Injured
- 3238
- Missing
- 50000
International aid flows in
Delcy Rodriguez said 24 countries had sent 521 tonnes of supplies, 86 search-and-rescue dog units and more than 2,741 specialised personnel, already integrated into local teams. Over 1,600 rescuers arrived on 17 international flights, including teams from Italy. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is distributing medical kits with antibiotics, painkillers and wound dressings to overwhelmed hospitals in Caracas and La Guaira.
- Countries contributing
- 24
- Tonnes of supplies
- 521
- Canine search units
- 86
- Rescue personnel
- 2741
Hospitals overwhelmed and bodies keep arriving
Dr Andreas Spaett, MSF programme director in Venezuela, described La Guaira as looking like a war zone.
He said hospitals were still receiving vehicles carrying many corpses, though the situation for the wounded was gradually improving. UNICEF estimated that 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, need humanitarian assistance and has activated an emergency response aiming to reach about 650,000 people, including 234,000 children.It is truly impressive to see the enormous solidarity shown by the Venezuelan people. Thousands of motorcycles are heading to La Guaira to bring aid.
Anger simmers among survivors
Frustration boiled over in Chacao, one of the worst-hit towns, where about 100 residents jeered and insulted President Rodriguez during her first public visit. She had earlier received a condolence call from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who cited the historic Italian community in Venezuela.
A magnitude 4.8 aftershock rattled the coast overnight, adding to the misery of thousands living in the open.President, I am deeply struck by the images of the tragedy. I feel profound sorrow also because there is an important Italian community in Venezuela, a country that in the past opened its arms to many Italians. And now Italy is moved in the face of this situation.
