A Venezuelan volunteer rescuer identified on social media as Maikel La Rosa broke down emotionally this Friday while recounting 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 recovering belonged to a children's party that was taking place at the time of the collapse.
The video posted on Instagram garnered over 848,000 views and sparked a wave of shock on social media. In the recording, Maikel appears visibly affected, with a trembling voice, trying to recount the events from the very scene.
"In the largest building that collapsed. It hurts me a lot because we are working, and the bodies we were pulling out were from a children's party, it hurts me a lot, I feel like crying, truly. You can't imagine. You can't imagine," expressed the volunteer.
He then added the phrase that encapsulated the human dimension of the tragedy: "It was a child's party when the building collapsed."
The earthquake occurred on June 24, San Juan Day, a popular festival in Venezuela during which communities and families come together in large numbers to celebrate. This explains why, at the time of the collapse, there were gatherings and celebrations underway in numerous buildings.
Despite the pain, Maikel tried to carry on. "This is very intense. You have to be strong, 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 report.
In addition to documenting rescue efforts, the volunteer uses his Instagram account as a coordination tool: he receives reports of missing persons, shares information, and acts as a link between families searching for their loved ones and the teams on the ground.
Maikel's testimony carries significant weight in the context of a disaster of historical proportions.
The two consecutive earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, separated by only 39 seconds with an epicenter in the state of Yaracuy, represent the most powerful earthquake recorded in Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The official balance confirmed this Friday by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez amounts to 920 deceased and 3,360 injured, a figure that tripled in less than 24 hours.
It is also reported that there are 157 missing persons and more than 200 people 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, 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 canine units, 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 everyone updated."
Filed under: