Attention has turned to the humanitarian response after at least 2,300 people are confirmed dead, and 13,000 homeless.3 min readJul 3, 2026 06:04 AM IST First published on: Jul 3, 2026 at 05:43 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookRescue workers attend to Hernán Alberto Gil Flores after he was pulled from the rubble eight days after he was trapped by twin earthquakes that struck Catia La Mar, Venezuela. (Photo: AP)A security guard has been rescued from a collapsed building eight days after twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela.Rescue teams freed Hernán Gil more than 100 hours after they first located him buried under 140 tonnes of rubble. A Chilean firefighter called it one of the hardest rescue jobs of his career, the BBC reported.WATCH: Rescuers pulled 44-year-old Hernán Alberto Gil Flores alive from the rubble of a collapsed shopping center in Venezuela after more than seven days trapped. He is now receiving medical care. pic.twitter.com/fhufM5eNf4— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 2, 2026The earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24. Close to 2,300 people have died, and tens of thousands remain missing.How rescuers found himHernán Gil was on duty in a small concrete guard booth in the basement parking area next to the Galerias Playa Grande mall when the quakes hit. That booth appears to have shielded him from the collapsed rubble above and around him.Allan Madrigal, a paramedic with the Costa Rican Red Cross, was the one who first heard Gil’s cries for help on Sunday. He said he didn’t trust his own ears at first and asked a coworker to check.“It was an emotional moment,” Madrigal said, as per BBC News.Story continues below this adRescuers from Argentina search a building damaged by back-to-back earthquakes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela. (Photo: AP)Teams from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States worked together to reach Gil. Parts of the access tunnels they built collapsed more than once, putting both Gil and the rescuers at risk.Overnight, crews got their first visual confirmation that Gil was alive, using a small camera pushed into the rubble. A Chilean firefighter asked him to turn toward the camera. He had one bloodshot eye and wore a mask that rescuers had passed to him earlier to keep dust out of his lungs.Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement, ending an operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.Video by Brayan AntequeraProduced by Kiki Sideris pic.twitter.com/5dl6sWnTOw— The Associated Press (@AP) July 2, 2026A Costa Rican Red Cross worker said Gil told them he didn’t even have a broken nail. Rescuers gave him water and hooked him up to an IV drip while digging continued.Also read Venezuela earthquake: Toddler rescued alive after six days trapped under rubbleMarco Antonio Franco of the Mexican Red Cross described Gil as upbeat throughout the ordeal. He said Gil even asked for specific drink flavors, and the team brought them, according to comments Franco gave to Mexican outlet Milenio and cited by BBC News.Most Read1Iran blames US as ship runs aground in Hormuz. But, tracking data tells a different story2Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral: Who will represent India? Full list of government, BJP, Congress and other leaders310 Indian-origin CEOs leading America’s biggest companies as US turns 2504Russia imports petrol from India after Ukraine attacks trigger fuel crisis: Report5Indian seafarer’s body returns from Venezuela ‘without heart, brain, liver’; probe demanded6At least 9 killed after explosion in Damascus cafe, several injuredBuildings that collapsed in the earthquakes are seen in La Guaira, Venezuela. (Photo: AP)Franco said Gil recognized rescue workers and encouraged them to keep going.Story continues below this adMadrigal, who was on his first international rescue mission, said the experience changed him.“The lad who came here a week ago is not the same one that will return to Costa Rica,” he told reporters.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogCBSE 10th Second Board Result 2026 Live Updates: Results expected soon; where to check?2 minutes agoPortugal vs Croatia Live Updates, FIFA World Cup 2026: Perisic scores to give Croatia 1-0 lead4 minutes agoICAI CA Foundation Result 2026 Live Updates: Results releasing on July 3 at caresults.icai.org56 minutes agoIndia news Highlights, 2 July 2026: Want to bring 10 trillion yen investment from Japan to India by 2036, says Modi6 hours agoMumbai Rains, Weather Live Updates: Orange alerts in Mumbai, few other Maharashtra districts, as heavy rains flood parts of city7 hours ago