A man recovered alive after eight days trapped under 140 tonnes of rubble triggered by twin earthquakes in Venezuela.
Hernán Gil, a security guard who was working in a concrete booth in the basement of a parking lot next to the Galerías Playa Grande mall in Catia La Mar, was caught when the building collapsed on 24 June. The structure collapsed into a wall of debris that pressed 140 t of rubble over him.
Rescue teams from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States worked tirelessly for more than 100 hours to reach him. The operation was technically complex, involving shoring ducts that repeatedly collapsed and a risk of further damage. A small camera placed in the rubble captured a faint cry that later became a heartbeat of hope.
When Gil was finally pulled out on Thursday, he was wrapped in an orange blanket, wearing a neck collar and an oxygen mask. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described him as a “living miracle” in a video posted on social media and pledged that the government would continue to use all powers and more for those affected.
The twin quakes left at least 2,595 confirmed deaths and tens of thousands still missing. Gil’s rescue offers a glimmer of hope amid a devastating natural disaster.
