A Venezuelan couple and their four-year-old son were rescued alive after being trapped for about 26 hours under the rubble of an eight-story building that collapsed in La Guaira following the earthquakes on June 24.
Throughout the agonizing wait, the family recorded moments of confinement with their own phones, images that went viral on social media and became one of the most powerful testimonies of the tragedy.
Jofran, Oriana, and their son Luciano were living on the first floor of the building when it collapsed. At the moment of the crash, Oriana threw herself to the ground, embracing Luciano to shield him with her body. A nearby piece of furniture bore the weight of the fallen ceiling, creating a vital space of just 60 to 70 centimeters in height that allowed them to breathe with seven floors above them.
Once the rescue teams located their position, it took them 10 hours to extract them from the rubble. The little boy was the first to emerge alive; his parents were brought out minutes later.
The rescue video, published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, shows the moment when the family sees the outside light and emotionally thanks their rescuers.
"They were trapped inside their home, fortunate that a piece of furniture provided support for the ceiling, allowing them to breathe. They recorded the agonizing wait with their own phones until they managed to get outside," the clip details.
Sebastián C. Padrón, a relative of the surviving couple, requested assistance for them and indicated that both are helping those affected in La Guaira.
"And they continue searching for my cousin Luisana. They are heroes! They are coming out of that nightmare safe and sound and are going out to physically help in the search for survivors," she said on Instagram.
This rescue adds to a series of survival stories that have emerged amid the devastation.
An 18-day-old baby and their mother were rescued alive after more than 32 hours under the rubble in Catia La Mar, and a 15-year-old girl was extracted alive by the Salvadoran team from the Bahía Mar building after three days trapped.
The two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that shook northern Venezuela on June 24, with just 39 seconds apart, are the strongest recorded in the country since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The state of La Guaira has been declared a disaster zone, with over 100 buildings collapsed and severe damage at Maiquetía International Airport.
The official balance, updated on Saturday, June 27, stood at 1,430 deceased, over 54,000 missing, and 3,238 injured.
The UN estimated up to 50,000 missing persons and reported that a total of 6.76 million people were affected. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 42% probability that the final number of victims could be between 10,000 and 100,000.
In that context, this Sunday, a 10-month-old baby and an 11-year-old boy were also rescued alive from the rubble, while 25 rescue teams from 17 countries continued efforts in the affected area.
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