Girl, 12, Survives 32 Hours Under Venezuelan Earthquake Rubble

A 12-year-old girl in Venezuela has become a symbol of resilience after surviving for 32 hours trapped beneath the rubble of her collapsed apartment building following powerful earthquakes on June 24. Her harrowing experience, detailed by the BBC, has captivated millions.

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I saw everything shaking, falling, and breaking. Then the walls started to crack. That's when I thought I was going to die. I thought nobody would save me.

Fabiana was home alone when the building in Caraballeda began to crumble. Initially fearing for her life, she found an unexpected calm amidst the chaos. "I'm an anxious and claustrophobic person, but I don't know why a strange peace came over me. Maybe I was in shock," she recounted.

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I'm an anxious and claustrophobic person, but I don't know why a strange peace came over me. Maybe I was in shock.

During her ordeal, Fabiana discovered a bottle of ketchup and some grated cheese among the debris, which helped her stay conscious. She also found her mobile phone and, despite the lack of network, recorded a video message pleading for help. "I'm in the Ritamar Palace apartment. There was an earthquake, there is a lot of rubble. There is no light, no one is coming to save us. I am alone," she said in the recording.

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I straightened my leg, which was trapped in a painful position, and then I found a bottle of ketchup and some grated cheese. That helped me stay conscious.

Her mother, Karina Blanco, arrived to find the building destroyed and initially believed her daughter was lost. Hope was rekindled when a rescued nurse mentioned a girl named Fabiana was alive. After a lengthy rescue operation, Fabiana was eventually freed, smiling through a hole made in the debris. Tragically, only three survivors were pulled from the nearly 50 residents of her building. The earthquakes officially claimed over 3,342 lives, with tens of thousands still missing.

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I'm in the Ritamar Palace apartment. There was an earthquake, there is a lot of rubble. There is no light, no one is coming to save us. I am alone. Many neighbors are trapped under the rubble. We need help.