A Venezuelan volunteer rescuer identified on social media as Maikel La Rosa became emotionally overwhelmed this Friday as he recounted what he found among the rubble of the largest building that collapsed in his work area following the earthquakes on June 24: the bodies they were retrieving belonged to children having a birthday party at the time of the collapse.
The video posted on Instagram garnered over 848,000 views and sparked a wave of reaction on social media. In the recording, Maikel appears visibly shaken, his voice trembling as he attempts to recount the events from the very scene.
"In the largest building that collapsed. It hurts me a lot because we were working, and the bodies we were pulling out were from a child's party. It hurts me so much, I feel like crying, truly. You can't imagine. You can't imagine," the volunteer expressed.
He then added the phrase that summarized the human dimension of the tragedy: "It was a child's party when the building collapsed."
The earthquake occurred on June 24th, the Feast of Saint John, a popular celebration in Venezuela where communities and families gather in large numbers to celebrate. This explains why, at the time of the collapse, there were meetings and celebrations taking place in numerous buildings.
Despite the pain, Maikel tried to carry on. "This is very hard. You have to be tough, but it hurts me a lot," he said through tears, before announcing that the machines were already working at the site and that he would continue to provide updates.
In addition to documenting rescue efforts, the volunteer uses their Instagram account as a coordination tool: they receive reports of missing persons, share information, and act as a bridge between families searching for their loved ones and the teams on the ground.
Maikel's testimony takes on special significance in the context of a catastrophe of historical proportions.
The two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurring just 39 seconds apart with an epicenter in the Yaracuy state, represent the strongest quake recorded in Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Service.
The official balance confirmed this Friday by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez rises to 920 deceased and 3,360 injured, a figure that tripled in less than 24 hours.
Additionally, 157 people are reported missing and more than 200 individuals are still trapped under debris, with 346 buildings collapsed or severely damaged.
The UN estimates that 6.76 million people were affected, including approximately two million in Caracas, while parallel figures from OCHA indicate 50,000 missing persons, although these are not official data.
The international response included the landing of a U.S. military C-17 aircraft with 160 rescue experts and 12 canines, as well as equipment from Portugal, Chile, and Mexico.
Maikel La Rosa ended his video with a decision that also moved those who watched it: "I decided to keep informing."
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