Rescuers Extract Hernan Gil From Catia La Mar After Venezuela Quakes

A man was rescued from a collapsed building eight days after twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela, with the rescue coming Thursday as attention shifted from finding survivors to addressing humanitarian needs for displaced residents.

Rescuers reached Hernan Gil, a 43-year-old security guard, from a collapsed seven-storey building in Catia La Mar in the hard-hit coastal area of La Guaira, after days of trying to retrieve him from the rubble where he worked.

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Al Jazeera reported that Cristian Vera, the leader of the Chilean rescue team, said rescuers dug a three-metre (9.8-foot) tunnel to extract Gil and provided him water via a hose and oxygen tube.

CBS News described the operation as a “painstaking operation” to extract Gil from the collapsed seven-story building where he worked in Catia La Mar, and said rescuers from seven countries worked around the clock to reach him.

The rescue was hailed by Gil’s wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, who told AFP, “This is truly a miracle,” as teams cheered and embraced after pulling him out.

While Gil’s recovery gave some families hope, Al Jazeera said many collapsed buildings in La Guaira, north of Caracas, had been marked with the letter D for “deceased,” signalling no signs of life could be detected.

Al Jazeera also quoted a search-and-rescue expert on the ground saying the footprint of the disaster was so big that “there are 58,000 buildings that have been destroyed or damaged,” making it “less and less likely that anyone can be found alive.”

ABC News

CBS News reported that Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the number of deaths had risen to 2,295 and more than 11,000 people were injured, with almost 13,000 left homeless.

CBS News added that Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning, saying the country’s “soul is torn apart by the human losses,” as the focus shifted to survival for those who escaped the quakes.

In the midst of the rescue, CBS News quoted Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer Minyar Collado telling AP, “We were never going to leave him here,” as the operation ended a grueling dayslong effort.

Al Jazeera said humanitarian workers warned the earthquake aftermath could lead to a health crisis, citing understaffed medical centres facing untreated injuries and infectious disease.

“A man has been rescued from a collapsed building eight days after twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela”

Al Jazeera

The World Food Programme appealed for $50m to feed some 500,000 people for three months, while the United Nations Development Programme put the estimated cost for physical damage at $6.7bn based on satellite imagery.

Al Jazeera reported that several countries and regional blocs pledged funding, including $300m from the US, and said the administration of US President Donald Trump continued to support Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez despite criticism over a lack of preparedness.

CBS News described the rescue as a symbol of hope while the official death toll neared 2,300 and huge numbers of people still missing, as the rescue of Hernan Gil was greeted as a miracle.

As the country moved into mourning and relief, Al Jazeera said international aid will be “more than necessary” in the months and weeks ahead, quoting journalist Noris Soto from Caracas.