Rescuers in Venezuela pull security guard alive from quake-damaged basement after eight days

Rescue teams in Catia La Mar, in Venezuela’s La Guaira state, pulled a security guard alive from rubble in a collapsed building basement early Thursday, after he had been trapped for eight days following twin earthquakes that struck the northern coast. PBS NewsHour reported that the man survived inside debris from the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center, where rescuers tunneled through unstable rubble to reach him.

The guard was identified as Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old who worked night shifts at the complex, according to reporting cited by the Los Angeles Times. The operation ended after teams established contact with him during the weekend and then continued cutting through damaged concrete and clearing debris while contending with rain and additional aftershocks, which can make working conditions unsafe and slow.

Gil Flores was found in a small security cabin that, as rescuers described in broader coverage of the rescue, remained standing longer than surrounding parts of the structure. That confinement helped create a pocket of air, giving rescuers time to keep him hydrated and to maintain communications while they worked to breach the collapsed basement area where he was trapped.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the twin earthquakes occurred on June 24 and were measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5. The same report said the disasters caused more than 2,200 deaths and injured more than 11,000 people across northern Venezuela, leaving tens of thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed and complicating rescue efforts because of the scale of destruction and the instability of structures.

Thursday’s extraction followed days in which rescue access depended on slow, methodical equipment work and careful handling of hazards at the site. PBS NewsHour characterized the successful outcome as a rare moment of survival after a week of widespread loss, noting that rescues of that length are uncommon when collapses occur and trapped survivors face declining supplies and harsh conditions.

The guard was removed on a stretcher and transported by ambulance, as described in related reporting. Family and nearby residents gathered as rescue personnel completed the final breach, while medical and emergency workers took over following extraction, consistent with standard post-rescue protocols for trauma evaluation and stabilization.

Beyond the immediate rescue, the case underscores how earthquake response in Venezuela has strained search-and-rescue capacity as authorities manage ongoing hazards, including aftershocks, damaged roadways, and persistent risks of further collapse at weakened buildings. The broader casualty figures reported after the June 24 earthquakes also highlight the stakes for emergency planning, engineering standards, and early coordination of resources for mass casualty events.