In brief
After twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June, a man named Hernán Gil was trapped under 140 tonnes of debris for eight days before emergency teams in Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States finally freed him. The quake claimed nearly 2,300 lives and left tens of thousands missing, driving a massive international rescue effort. The 100‑hour rescue is a testament to the determination and coordination of the teams involved, which managed to locate and extract the survivor despite the challenging conditions. Gil’s rescue highlights the ongoing danger that earthquake collapse poses to communities, and the crucial need for robust disaster-response strategies worldwide.
Survival in the rubble - Over eight days, a man trapped under the collapsed building was extracted, a feat that takes a team of engineers and emergency responders to accomplish.
The disaster was triggered by twin 6.4‑magnitude earthquakes on 24 June, leaving nearly 2,300 people dead and tens of thousands missing. The sky‑high casualties spurred an international response that brought crews from Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States to the site.
Emergency workers first found Hernán Gil on a Saturday, buried beneath about 140 tonnes of rubble. Over the next 100 hours, coordinated efforts gradually loosened the debris until the pulmonated survivor was free, breathing and alive.
Rescues like this underscore the importance of rapid site assessment, the use of heavy‑machinery, and communication between local and foreign teams. They also remind the public that earthquakes pose a prolonged threat to those trapped in collapsed structures.
As officials continue to search for missing persons, the community’s collective resilience shines through. Stories of survival and international cooperation bring hope to a region recovering from one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
