Venezuela Earthquakes: Rescued Children Arrive in Caracas Hospitals Without Parents Amidst Deadly Quakes

Yenderlin Cabarza, 13, arrived at a Caracas emergency room with multiple fractures, one of the many victims of powerful earthquakes that devastated Venezuela and killed at least 188 people. Her mother died in the rubble, and an uncle who tried to shield her also perished. She now awaits medical attention alone, like dozens of other children affected by the tragedy.

Ambulances continuously arrive at the Hospital Domingo Luciani in eastern Caracas. Outside, anxious relatives scan handwritten lists of names posted on the hospital walls, searching for loved ones. Among these lists are 22 children and adolescents, aged 4 to 19, rescued from La Guaira, a coastal town hit hard by two tremors measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude. The earthquakes reduced entire buildings to rubble, and fear persists across much of Venezuela.

Rescuers prioritized transporting children immediately from collapsed areas, leading many to arrive without accompanying family members. Some can state their names, while others are identified only by a strip of tape on their arm. "Most don't have family. They are pulled from the rubble, put in an ambulance, and brought here because the hospitals in La Guaira are completely full," one doctor at the hospital explained anonymously. Authorities estimate the tragedy has left around 1,520 injured and nearly 200 people missing.

In the hospital waiting room, families and friends of victims remain, while medical staff primarily treat trauma cases, including facial, chest, and abdominal injuries, along with arm and leg fractures. A hospital worker uses a megaphone to ask relatives to stay in the waiting area and keep emergency access clear. Each name called brings a wave of relief to those who confirm their loved ones are alive. Many newcomers photograph patient lists to quickly share on social media, hoping to help locate the missing.