Venezuela earthquake: Three teenagers rescued after 'golden time' limit

In a remarkable display of resilience, three teenagers have been miraculously rescued in Venezuela five days after devastating earthquakes struck the country. Their survival defies the critical 72-hour "golden time" typically considered the limit for finding survivors trapped in rubble. The rescues occurred in Caraballeda, north of the Venezuelan capital Caracas. President Nicolás Maduro's acting government announced the successful rescues, emphasizing that search operations would continue. Previously, authorities reported that 33 people were rescued, including two 11-year-old boys. One of the rescued boys, Moisés, was found alive after a six-hour search operation, having been buried under approximately 3 meters of building debris in La Guaira. He was discovered near his deceased sister and mother. Reports indicate he survived because he was trapped in a pocket of space created when the building collapsed, sustaining no injuries. Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and acting president's brother, described each rescued life as a "miracle" and stated the country is in "a desperate time to save lives." Rescue teams acknowledge that survival probabilities decrease sharply after 72 hours. Despite this, international teams have been dispatched to aid Venezuelan specialists in the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts. Residents, however, faced immense challenges in the immediate aftermath. Many reported hearing cries for help from beneath the debris but lacked heavy equipment, resorting to manual digging. Andreína Valerio, whose 2-year-old son and in-laws were trapped, told the BBC she believed her son was alive after hearing him cry the day after the earthquake. The official death toll has surpassed 1,450, with over 3,150 injured and 12,721 displaced. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the death toll could exceed 10,000.

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Today, we rescued additional survivors. The rescue operations will not stop.