Hernan Gil, a survivor of Venezuela's twin earthquakes, is assisted by members of international rescue teams before being rushed into an ambulance in Catia La Mar, La Guaira State, Venezuela, July 2, 2026. (Photo: VCG)
Rescuers dug out a 44-year-old survivor trapped in the ruins of the mall where he worked in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, more than a week after two strong earthquakes devastated the country's northern coast.
Work to save security guard Hernan Alberto Gil from the rubble of the nine-story Galerias Playa Grande shopping center began on Monday, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has been posting updates on X about the operation that also involved teams from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica and Venezuela.
Rescuers provided him with hydration via tubing, according to Bukele, but needed to dig two separate tunnels to reach him, because of the instability of the ruins.
Gil was carried out of the rubble on a stretcher on Thursday morning and loaded into an ambulance as cheering rescuers and reporters looked on.
"I'm grateful to God for keeping him alive for so many days," said Gusbimar Gonzalez, Gil's wife. "He endured it all like a warrior."
Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday evening that "We haven't ended search and rescue efforts after quakes."
The quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck less than a minute apart almost eight days ago, killing 2,295 people, according to the latest government figures.
Catastrophe and risk modeling firm Verisk said it expects economic losses from the quakes to top $10 billion.
By Thursday, Venezuela had received 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from other countries, according to the foreign ministry.
(With input from Reuters)