Rescue workers in Venezuela extracted a 43-year-old security guard alive from the ruins of a shopping centre in the coastal state of La Guaira on Thursday, eight days after two powerful earthquakes struck the country’s northern coastline. Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped beneath the collapsed Galerías Playa Grande complex since 24 June, when the twin tremors — measured at magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 — caused widespread destruction. Multinational teams worked for more than 100 hours to reach him, tunnelling through unstable concrete while supplying water and oxygen through narrow shafts.

Gil Flores survived because the small security cabin where he was working remained largely intact, creating a pocket of air that shielded him from falling debris. Rescuers from Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, El Salvador and Venezuela maintained contact with him via a telescopic camera and kept him hydrated with liquid nutrients. His wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, told reporters the outcome was “a miracle”, adding that he had asked rescuers not to inform her he was alive until he was safely out, in case the operation failed. Medical sources said he was conscious and in good condition after being transferred to a Caracas hospital.

The official death toll from the earthquakes has risen to 2,595, with 12,400 injured, according to figures released by acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The number of missing remains uncertain: an unofficial online registry listed around 38,600 people, while some local reports cited up to 50,000. The disaster levelled large parts of La Guaira and damaged at least 38 hospitals, according to Brazilian assessment teams. International relief efforts have delivered around 2,000 metric tons of aid, but humanitarian needs are acute, with warnings of disease outbreaks and shortages of food and water.

The rescue operation was not without friction. Chilean rescue workers alleged that Venezuelan military personnel demanded identity documents at the rubble site, suspecting them of being spies, while German teams reported being denied entry to the country. An American organisation said it faced difficulties accessing operational areas. These reports, carried by regional media, have added to criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis, though Rodríguez has publicly thanked international partners, including the United States, Brazil, and Spain.

The survival of Gil Flores, along with the earlier rescue of a three-year-old boy found after six days, has provided rare moments of hope. Search-and-rescue operations continue, but the critical 72-hour window has long passed, and teams are increasingly shifting focus to humanitarian assistance and recovery. Authorities have warned that aftershocks remain a risk, and the final toll is expected to rise as debris is cleared.