Son helps rescue father and brothers after Venezuela quakes

A former firefighter helped free his father and two younger brothers from a collapsed apartment building in Venezuela after two earthquakes struck on June 24, Al Jazeera reported. The rescue in La Guaira became one family’s survival story amid a disaster that Venezuelan officials say has killed thousands and damaged hundreds of buildings.

Jose Garcia, a 46-year-old mechanic, was inside the Ritasol Palace apartment complex in Caraballeda with his wife and two sons, Diego, 7, and Santiago, 12, when the quakes hit, according to Al Jazeera. The first, measured at magnitude 7.2, shook the coast at about 6:04 p.m. local time and was followed within seconds by a stronger earthquake, the outlet reported.

The 11-storey building came down, leaving Jose and the two boys trapped in what had been the basement area of the structure, Al Jazeera reported. Jose told the outlet his youngest son was against his chest, while Santiago was partly buried nearby, visible only by a hand and a foot.

Jesus Garcia, Jose’s 26-year-old son and a former La Guaira firefighter, rushed to the site without knowing whether his relatives were alive, according to Al Jazeera. A former colleague and family friend had kept Jesus’s old helmet and jacket and brought them to the ruins, the outlet reported.

When Jesus reached the site, the firefighter told him his father and brothers were still alive beneath the debris, according to Al Jazeera. Jesus later said he heard his father calling from below and told him to stay calm and keep the children calm while rescuers worked.

The operation took time. Al Jazeera reported that Jesus and the rescue crews had to wait until the next day for daylight and equipment, including a jackhammer, before they could break through layers of rubble.

A police specialist unit later arrived with needed gear, and firefighters from La Guaira helped Jesus reach his family, according to Al Jazeera. Jose, Diego and Santiago were pulled out at about 3:30 p.m. on June 25, more than 20 hours after the building collapsed.

Jose told Al Jazeera he remains grateful that he and his sons survived. His wife, however, was still beneath the rubble 11 days after the earthquakes, and Jose said he had not given up hope she would be found alive.

Broader destruction

Al Jazeera reported that more than 3,342 people had been confirmed dead as of Sunday, with the toll expected to rise as bodies remain in debris. More than 50,000 people were missing, according to the outlet.

The Venezuelan government said 856 buildings had been damaged and 190 had collapsed, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said some satellite-based estimates put the scale of destruction higher.

Several kilometres from Ritasol Palace, Andreina Rey was sleeping outside the ruins of her former apartment after returning from work in Colombia, where she cooked at a coal mine to support relatives in Venezuela, according to Al Jazeera. Rey told the outlet her daughter, grandchildren and several in-laws were trapped in the rubble.

Jan Costa, a psychiatrist treating survivors in Caracas, told Al Jazeera that many people faced deep uncertainty after losing homes and relatives. Costa said anger had grown among survivors who saw little government presence or response, while critics accused authorities of moving slowly and obstructing some aid and services, according to the outlet.

At Ritasol Palace, Jose continued to wait as international rescue teams searched the remains of the building, Al Jazeera reported. He told the outlet his family would have to start again, but did not yet know the cost of doing so.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.