'No one move!': The agonising silence as Venezuela rescuers listen for survivors

A tense silence fell over the rubble of the Mariola and Maribel Residences in La Guaira, Venezuela, as rescuers strained to hear a possible survivor. Shouts erupted among the onlookers, a woman cried out in thanks, and hope surged through the crowd gathered near the earthquake-damaged buildings.

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Please, let us listen. Don't make noise! It seems like there's someone here.

Rescuers signaled for all noise to cease: engines, cranes, and drills fell silent. They climbed the unstable mountain of concrete and iron, knelt, and bowed their heads. "Please, let us listen. Don't make noise! It seems like there's someone here," one called out. The message, "Shhh… silence, please," rippled through the onlookers, many of whom held their breath, desperate to aid the search.

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Say something so we can hear you, please. We are a rescue team!

For 10 minutes, time seemed to stand still as the rescuers listened intently. The hope of finding someone alive, a feeling recently bolstered by the rescue of 33 people on Saturday, began to dwindle. "Say something so we can hear you, please," someone shouted desperately into the debris. "We are a rescue team!" But no sound emerged, and the professionals declared it a false alarm. The faces of those present changed dramatically from hope to disappointment.

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There are bodies there, trapped. The relatives of those who lived there are helping because the government doesn't want to help.

Frustration quickly turned to anger for many, including Ronnie Navarro, who traveled from Puerto La Cruz to help search for his uncle. "There are bodies there, trapped. The relatives of those who lived there are helping because the government doesn't want to help," he stated, visibly exhausted. "The authorities say nothing. They pass by, take a quick look, and leave." Zuly Marín, a biologist who lived in the complex, lost her niece and brother-in-law. She believes that if authorities had arrived sooner, more lives could have been saved, citing a delay in the rescue process.

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The authorities say nothing. They pass by, take a quick look, and leave.