Venezuelan Brothers Lose Family in Quake, Then Survive Another in Colombia

Two teenage brothers, who had already endured immense tragedy, have once again been caught in the destructive path of a powerful earthquake. Davi Delpin, 17, and Winder Delpin, 15, originally from Venezuela, survived a series of major earthquakes in June that devastated their home country. The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, claimed the lives of their grandmother, mother, and younger brother.

For 26 agonizing days, the brothers were forced to personally search for their family members' remains. After this harrowing experience, they moved to Cali, in western Colombia, to live with their father, who works as a barber, hoping to start anew. However, their new beginning was shattered when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Cali on Monday.

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I started crying remembering what my father and I went through. I hope nothing happens to the children.

Terrified, the brothers fled their home as the ground shook violently. Their father, who was out at the time, was overcome with emotion upon reuniting with his sons, saying, "I started crying remembering what my father and I went through. I hope nothing happens to the children." The brothers, though shaken, expressed a sense of relief in their survival, with Winder stating, "I'm too scared to go inside the house, but we are okay. We are alive."

The Colombian government has declared a state of national emergency and initiated rescue operations. The earthquake has so far resulted in at least 132 deaths and 570 injuries, according to Reuters. The incident highlights the vulnerability of communities in seismically active regions and the profound psychological toll such disasters can inflict, especially on those who have already suffered great loss.

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I'm too scared to go inside the house, but we are okay. We are alive.