• A security guard was rescued alive after being trapped for eight days in the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela.
• The twin earthquakes on June 24 registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, leaving about 2,600 dead and thousands missing.
• Rescue operations involved teams from seven countries, providing food and hydration during the complex extraction process.
• With hopes of finding more survivors fading, attention is shifting to the humanitarian crisis caused by the destruction.
• The World Food Programme has appealed for $50 million to support relief efforts for displaced individuals.

In a remarkable rescue effort, Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old security guard, was pulled alive from the rubble after being trapped for eight days following twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. Gil was rescued from the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in Catia La Mar, which was largely destroyed by the quakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively. As details emerged, the official death toll has now reached nearly 2,600, with thousands still unaccounted for, according to LA Times, CBS News, Reuters, Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, India Times, and Le Monde.

The operation to rescue Gil involved hundreds of rescuers from seven different countries, including Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico. Rescuers provided him with water and oxygen through tubes during the six backbreaking days leading up to his extraction. They faced immense challenges from unstable debris and harsh weather conditions, demonstrating international cooperation at a time of crisis. “This is truly a miracle,” declared Gil’s wife, Gusbimar González, after his rescue, as reported by CBS News, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.

The widespread destruction caused by the earthquakes has left approximately 13,000 people homeless, with vast numbers awaiting aid as humanitarian needs intensify. The World Health Organization cautions that the disaster may exacerbate health crises due to overcrowded shelters and inadequate medical facilities. “Time isn’t wasted in a place where there is no expectation of recovering people alive,” noted Javier Rodes, a rescue coordinator amidst the ongoing tragedy, reflecting the dire circumstances many are facing, as mentioned by LA Times, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.

As local and global agencies coordinate relief efforts, the ongoing situation in La Guaira—a region heavily impacted by the quakes—has drawn attention to the infrastructure weaknesses exacerbated by decades of economic turmoil in Venezuela. With international aid pledged, including a $50 million appeal from the World Food Programme, efforts are underway to address the urgent needs of approximately 500,000 affected residents, as reported by Al Jazeera and Le Monde.