CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela — Rescuers pulled a security guard alive from the rubble of a collapsed shopping center in Venezuela early on Thursday, more than eight days after twin powerful earthquakes devastated the country's northern coast.
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 43, was extracted from the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town of Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, where he had been trapped since the quakes struck on June 24.
International rescue teams, including personnel from Venezuela, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, Portugal and Costa Rica, worked for days to reach him under more than 140 tonnes of debris. Gil Flores survived in his small security cabin in the basement parking area, which remained largely intact.
The rescue, witnessed by journalists, drew cheers from emergency workers and bystanders as Gil Flores was brought out on a stretcher and taken for medical treatment. Officials described the operation as extremely delicate due to unstable rubble and ongoing aftershocks.
The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 and occurring just 39 seconds apart, caused widespread destruction across La Guaira and Caracas. The official death toll has risen to more than 2,200, with thousands injured and many still missing, according to Venezuelan authorities.
Gil Flores was on night duty when the tremors hit. Rescuers first detected signs of life several days ago and supplied him with water and food while carefully clearing a path through the debris.
Search and rescue efforts continue in the affected areas as authorities assess the full extent of the damage. The situation remains fluid with reports of additional survivors possible.
