Salvadoran Rescuers Save Lives After Over 70 Hours Trapped Under Rubble

Salvadoran rescue teams achieved remarkable feats in Venezuela this past Saturday, pulling several individuals to safety who had been trapped for over 70 hours beneath the debris caused by the devastating June 24 earthquakes. These tremors are considered the most severe the nation has experienced in over a century.

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador shared live updates of the rescues on social media. In an initial post at 6:24 PM local time, he announced that Salvadoran teams, working alongside American and Venezuelan rescuers, successfully extracted a survivor from the Nautilus building in Catia La Mar after nearly 70 hours under the rubble. "Thank you, God. We ask you to allow us to save many more lives. Stay strong, Venezuela," Bukele wrote.

Shortly thereafter, at 6:58 PM, Bukele reported a second rescue: Hinda Ramírez, who had been trapped in the Arrecife residence in Caraballeda, was brought out alive. "We have rescued Hinda Ramírez alive," Bukele confirmed in another post, accompanied by a video capturing the moment rescuers shouted "Let's go, Salvador! Thanks for the support!" as they carried her to safety.

By 7:16 PM, the president shared that Marlene Angulo, aged 69, had been located alive, though he noted the challenging conditions of the rescue.

"Access is difficult, but with God's help, we will succeed," he wrote. In a video of the rescue, a brigade member introduced himself to Angulo: "We are from OHR El Salvador. We're here to help you. Stay calm; you'll be with us shortly." Once rescued, Angulo requested a Coca-Cola, though medical staff first needed to stabilize her with intravenous fluids.

These three rescues occurred amid a race against time: survival chances drop significantly after 72 hours trapped under rubble, making each live recovery extraordinarily significant.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, struck northern Venezuela on June 24, with epicenters in Yaracuy and Yumare, causing extensive devastation along the coastal region of La Guaira.

Catia La Mar, Macuto, and Caraballeda were the hardest hit, with over 346 buildings either collapsed or severely damaged, and an official death toll of 1,430 with more than 3,360 injured.

Bukele dispatched one of the largest humanitarian contingents in El Salvador's history to Venezuela: 300 rescuers and 150 tons of aid transported via six aircraft.

Operating under the banners of USAR El Salvador and OHR El Salvador, these teams collaborated with U.S. brigades — the Fairfax and Los Angeles teams — and others from various nations. In total, over 1,000 rescuers from more than 25 international teams across 17 countries have been deployed to the affected area.

This Saturday was not the first time Salvadoran brigades achieved significant rescues: days earlier, they saved Nayarit Colmenare and Camila Sofía Medina Rivas, a 15-year-old girl, along with her pet, after more than 48 hours trapped.

The citizen platform Encuéntralos reports nearly 54,973 individuals are missing, indicating that search efforts will continue for several more days amid the wreckage in La Guaira.