Venezuelan Man Rescued From Rubble Eight Days After Earthquakes

A 43-year-old security guard has been rescued alive after spending eight days trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed building following the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela, offering a rare moment of hope amid the country's worst natural disaster in recent years.

Hernan Gil was found alive on Thursday after an intensive multinational rescue operation in Catia La Mar, one of the areas hardest hit by last week's twin earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude.

Rescuers had located Gil three days before his extraction but faced major challenges in reaching him safely. Emergency teams from Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico worked together throughout the operation.

According to members of the Chilean rescue team, crews dug a tunnel nearly three metres long to reach the trapped man. During the operation, rescuers supplied him with water through a hose and provided oxygen through a tube, helping him survive until he could be brought to safety.

His wife described the rescue as a miracle after days of uncertainty over his fate.

Despite the successful rescue, authorities say hope is fading for thousands of others still unaccounted for. Search teams have reported that many collapsed buildings no longer show signs of life, and rescue efforts are gradually giving way to large-scale humanitarian operations.

Venezuela's government says at least 2,295 people have died and around 11,000 have been injured in the disaster. An estimated 13,000 people have been left homeless, while nearly 60,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes. Officials also say about 50,000 people remain missing, and the death toll could continue to rise.

Relief agencies are now warning of a growing humanitarian crisis as damaged healthcare facilities, shortages of medical supplies, and overcrowded shelters increase the risk of disease outbreaks and untreated injuries.