Venezuela Rescues 2 Boys, 11, After 85 Hours Under Quake Rubble
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 28
Venezuela Rescues 2 Boys, 11, After 85 Hours Under Quake Rubble
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 28
Summary
Two 11-year-old boys were pulled alive from collapsed buildings within hours of each other, more than 85 hours after Venezuela’s twin earthquakes struck.
Moises was buried under about 3 meters of debris, and rescuers said a six-hour precision operation reached him despite dangerous aftershocks and unstable concrete.
At least 1,430 people have been confirmed dead and tens of thousands remain missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes collapsed hundreds of buildings in 39 seconds.
La Guaira, especially Caraballeda, has become the center of the emergency response, with families still digging by hand while some neighborhoods await heavy machinery and debris removal.
Thirty-nine international search teams — nearly 2,000 personnel with 111 dogs and micro-drones — have joined the effort as survivors shelter in cars, airports and makeshift aid centers.
After catastrophic collapses, can Venezuela rebuild its cities to withstand the next inevitable earthquake?
In a nation already in crisis, can billions in aid overcome political hurdles to reach the victims?
Venezuela’s 2026 Earthquake: 85-Hour Miracle Rescue and the Struggle for Survival Amid National Crisis
Overview
On June 28, 2026, two 11-year-old boys, Moises and Jean-Luc, were rescued alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Port-au-Prince after surviving 85 hours without food or water. Their survival was possible because they were found in a small, protective void space, likely created by a sturdy piece of furniture or a structural beam. The boys’ young age and the cool temperatures inside the rubble helped slow their metabolic rates, aiding their endurance. Their dramatic rescue, carried out by specialized international teams using advanced technology, became a powerful symbol of hope amid the disaster.