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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Disasters & Emergencies

Survivor recounts 'new chance at life' after rescue from Caracas earthquake rubble

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Migdalia Carros described her rescue from rubble after a major earthquake in Caracas as a "new chance at life."
  • She lost her father in the disaster but was quickly rescued from her collapsed building in Chacao.
  • The earthquake caused widespread damage, with thousands killed and injured, and the Venezuelan government announced financial aid for those affected.

Migdalia Carros, a 56-year-old publicist, recounted her harrowing experience of being rescued from the debris of her Caracas apartment building after a powerful double earthquake struck Venezuela on June 24. "I have a new chance at life, thank God," Carros told EFE, expressing gratitude for her swift rescue. "My dad didn't make it, but well, they rescued me from the rubble, I was blessed because somehow they rescued me quickly."

I have a new chance at life, thank God. My dad didn't make it, but well, they rescued me from the rubble, I was blessed because somehow they rescued me quickly.

— Migdalia CarrosDescribing her experience after being rescued from earthquake debris.

Carros described the terrifying 39 seconds of the earthquake that brought her building down. She found herself in what she called the "triangle of life" within the rubble, feeling as though she had "descended into hell" before being rescued. Despite losing her home, she remains optimistic about the future, crediting her "wonderful" neighbors and the local mayor's office for support.

Another survivor, 62-year-old Iván Gutiérrez, described being in a shopping mall when the earthquakes hit. He recounted how ceilings collapsed, trapping people and blocking escalators. Gutiérrez managed to free himself and his family members, but tragically, his 82-year-old father, who lived in the same building as Carros, did not survive.

They were 39 seconds that didn't give us time for anything and suddenly everything came down, we fell, we ended up in the triangle of life they call it and I say that I went down to hell and God rescued me from there.

— Migdalia CarrosRecounting the moments the earthquake struck and her building collapsed.

The twin earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, devastated northern Venezuela, particularly Caracas and the state of La Guaira, which was declared a disaster zone. The official toll stands at least 2,954 deaths and 16,592 injuries, with over 16,300 people losing their homes. In response, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced financial assistance for victims, including monthly payments for six months and subsidized mortgage programs.

The ceilings came down on us and blocked the escalators.

— Iván GutiérrezDescribing the immediate impact of the earthquake while at a shopping mall.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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