Rescue crews in Venezuela on Tuesday pulled a 2-year-old boy alive from beneath debris after he had spent six days trapped, in what officials described as the only reported survivor rescue on the sixth day of search efforts following last week’s catastrophic earthquakes.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Telegram that Jordanian emergency responders had recovered the child from a collapsed building in La Guaira, one of the areas most severely battered by the quakes.
Authorities identified the boy as Klieber Moran, who Rodríguez said had remained buried under the rubble for six days before rescuers reached him.
She said Moran was transported to a hospital to receive medical care.
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A Jordanian rescue team works to free a child trapped beneath rubble after the earthquakes in Venezuela, at a site identified as Caracas, Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said during a televised address Tuesday that authorities have not given up hope of locating additional survivors.
“We must keep hope alive that we will continue finding people alive under the rubble,” Jorge said. “Early this morning, a 2-year-old boy was rescued and is now receiving treatment at a health center in Caracas.”
Rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast last Wednesday.
Emergency workers rescued a 2-year-old boy after he spent six days trapped beneath the rubble following last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The death toll from the twin earthquakes rose to 1,943 on Tuesday, with more than 10,500 people injured, according to Venezuelan officials. On Monday, the death toll stood at 1,719.
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Tuesday’s rescue marked another glimmer of hope amid the disaster that has devastated the South American country.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department shared video showing American search-and-rescue teams pulling an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela.
A child receives emergency medical attention after being rescued by a Jordanian team from under rubble following earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told News Agency. Both suffered only minor injuries, according to the rescue team.
“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the State Department posted on X.
On Tuesday, a shipment from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) containing 47 metric tons of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela.
Emergency workers rescued 2-year-old Klieber Moran from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela six days after the country’s devastating earthquakes, according to Venezuelan officials. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings.
According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, made up of firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists, and deployed with more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment.
