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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Venezuela earthquake survivor pulled from rubble after 8 days

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A security guard, Hernan Gil, was miraculously rescued after being trapped for eight days under rubble following a powerful earthquake in Venezuela.
  • Rescue efforts involved teams from seven countries working for three days and nights to reach Gil in the flattened city of Catia La Mar.
  • While Gil's survival offers a glimmer of hope, the overall situation remains dire with nearly 2,300 confirmed deaths and widespread destruction.

In a remarkable display of international cooperation and resilience, rescue teams have successfully pulled a security guard, Hernan Gil, from beneath rubble eight days after a devastating earthquake struck Venezuela. Gil was trapped in the ruins of a seven-story building in Catia La Mar, a coastal city largely flattened by the magnitude of the quake.

This is simply a miracle

— Gusbimar GonzalezHernan Gil's wife expressed her astonishment at his survival.

The arduous rescue operation spanned three days and nights, involving specialized teams from Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico. These international rescuers worked tirelessly, providing Gil with water through hoses and oxygen via tubes, ultimately tunneling a 3-meter passage to reach him.

I can't believe it, because this is the first time I've seen so many countries unite just to save one person

— Gusbimar GonzalezHernan Gil's wife commented on the unprecedented international cooperation during the rescue.

Gil's wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, described his survival as a "miracle," expressing disbelief at the global effort focused on saving one life. "I can't believe it, because this is the first time I've seen so many countries unite just to save one person," she said.

It's not easy to find the exact location of the victims

— Cristian VeraCristian Vera, captain of the Chilean rescue team, described the challenges of the search operation.

Despite this uplifting rescue, the overall situation in Venezuela remains critical. Official figures report nearly 2,300 deaths, with a significant number of people still missing. Experts warn of potential disease outbreaks due to the scarcity of food and water and overwhelmed hospitals. While small victories like the rescue of a 3-year-old boy six days after the quake offer moments of hope, the chances of finding more survivors are slim, according to search and rescue dog trainers.

One is for searching for survivors, the other is for finding bodies. Just two days ago, we still had hope. Now, finding survivors is almost a miracle

— Cesar GonzalezCesar Gonzalez, a Mexican firefighter and search dog trainer, expressed the dwindling hope for finding survivors.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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