Mexican Army Rescues Child Trapped in Rubble After Venezuela Earthquakes

After three days trapped under debris, a child was rescued alive by Mexican army personnel in La Guaira, Venezuela, following the devastating June 24 earthquakes. The child, found next to his deceased father, was pulled from a collapsed building after a delicate five-hour operation Source: El País. Reports of the child's age vary: nine Source: El País, ten Source: Milenio, or eleven years Source: Infobae, and at least two children were rescued that day, including another 11-year-old named Moisés Source: Infobae.

The Rescue Operation

Elements of the Mexican Army's Batallón de Atención a Emergencias (BAE) worked through the night, using grinders and hammers to cut through rebar and concrete. They had to carefully move an air conditioning unit to reach the child, who was conscious but dehydrated with a broken leg Source: El País. The rescue took about six hours Source: La Jornada. The child received first aid and was evacuated to a military camp Source: Excélsior.

Humanitarian Response

Mexico deployed 261 personnel from the Army, Air Force, and National Guard, along with 18 dog teams, under the joint task force "Yumare" Source: Heraldo de México. They brought 13 tons of medical supplies (Milenio) and have recovered over 30 bodies, rescuing two survivors alive (Milenio). The death toll is estimated at over 1,500, with tens of thousands missing .