Child’s dramatic rescue revives hope in Venezuela’s earthquake zone

LA three-year-old boy has been rescued alive from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, six days after powerful twin earthquakes devastated parts of the country and claimed thousands of lives.

The child, identified by authorities as Klieber Morán, was pulled from the wreckage of the Los Corales Garden 1 residential building in La Guaira state during a rescue operation led by a Jordanian emergency response team. He was immediately taken to hospital for medical treatment after being freed.

The rescue is the only confirmed case of a survivor being found on the sixth day of search operations, offering a rare moment of hope for families still waiting for news of missing relatives. Rescue workers at the scene celebrated after locating the boy, with Jordanian civil defence officials saying specialised camera equipment helped detect his position beneath the debris.

Venezuela was struck by two major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, less than a minute apart on June 24. The tremors caused widespread destruction, flattening buildings and trapping thousands of people under collapsed structures, particularly in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit regions.

Following the rescue, Venezuela’s acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, confirmed that the child had survived nearly a week beneath the rubble before being found by the Jordanian team. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez urged rescue workers not to lose hope, saying the successful operation demonstrated that more survivors could still be found despite the passage of time.

The United Nations also announced that a UNICEF shipment carrying 47 metric tonnes of humanitarian supplies had arrived in Venezuela to support children and families affected by the disaster. The consignment includes emergency medical kits, maternal and newborn care supplies, and disease prevention materials.

Search and rescue operations continue across the affected areas as emergency teams, aided by international partners, race against time to locate anyone still trapped beneath the rubble.