Valentina Oropeza

Volunteer firefighter Daniela Villarroel spent 18 consecutive days rescuing survivors and recovering bodies after a devastating double earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela. Working with the Central University of Venezuela’s volunteer fire department, she entered extremely narrow and unstable spaces, helping rescue survivors including Gabriel and an elderly woman trapped beneath a collapsed building. After returning home, she experienced insomnia, intrusive sounds and images, loss of appetite, and a persistent smell of decomposing bodies, eventually seeking help from a therapist. The account highlights both the bravery of volunteer rescuers and the severe psychological toll of prolonged disaster-response work.

A young woman who survived the Venezuelan earthquakes spends her days beside the ruins of a collapsed housing building in La Guaira searching for the bodies of her father, stepmother and siblings. She recounts the lack of machinery, the grim conditions in local hospitals, and the trauma of manually searching the debris. Two relatives were recovered after more than two weeks, while others remain missing. The collapse of government‑built housing complexes has led to criticism of construction quality, and official figures report thousands dead, injured and missing.

Survivors of Venezuela’s double earthquake recount near-death experiences as volunteers and international rescue teams work amid severe destruction in La Guaira and surrounding areas. Individuals trapped under collapsed buildings describe improvised attempts to signal for help, while first responders struggle with insufficient equipment in the early hours. Volunteer groups and civil society mobilize rapidly, delivering medical supplies, food, and rescue tools despite growing restrictions imposed by police and military checkpoints. Foreign rescue teams contribute specialized equipment and trained dogs, helping locate victims under the rubble. Reports emerge of obstructed aid, missing family members, and government agencies criticized for limited response. Fatalities surpass two thousand, tens of thousands remain missing, and rescue operations continue under national mourning.