Key facts
- A father and son were rescued from earthquake rubble four days after the quakes struck Venezuela.
- The rescue offered hope to French and U.S. teams searching for survivors.
- The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck 39 seconds apart.
- The coastal state of La Guaira was hardest hit, with at least 1,450 dead and thousands missing.
- Rescuers used specialized cameras and worked for 12 hours to reach the father and son.
A father and son have been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, four days after twin earthquakes struck the country. The rescue, carried out by French and U.S. teams, offered a moment of hope amid ongoing efforts to find survivors among the thousands still missing.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, hit 39 seconds apart, causing widespread destruction, particularly in the coastal state of La Guaira. This region has been identified as the epicenter, with at least 1,450 confirmed deaths and thousands of people unaccounted for.
Rescuers worked for 12 hours using specialized equipment to reach the father and son, who were found in a severely weakened state. Their extraction was slow and meticulous, involving rehydration and medication. The previous day, the same rescue teams had saved a mother and her infant child.
Specialists note that the chances of finding survivors decrease significantly after 72 hours, raising concerns for the tens of thousands still missing. Despite the challenges, at least 33 people were rescued over the weekend.