Rescuers in Venezuela pluck child alive from collapsed building six days after twin quakes

By Vivian Sequera

CARACAS, June 30 (Reuters) – Jordanian emergency workers in Venezuela, hit by devastating twin earthquakes last week, rescued a child early on Tuesday, the only survivor in the sixth day of rescue efforts, according to Venezuelan officials.

In a message sent via Telegram, Venezuelan Deputy President Delcy Rodriguez said that Klieber Moran was taken out of the Los Corales Garden 1 building in La Guaira province by Jordanian rescuers after being trapped under the rubble for six days.

Venezuela was hit last Wednesday by two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5, less than a minute apart, according to officials and rescue teams; Buildings collapsed and thousands of people were trapped under the rubble.

In the message, it was stated that Moran, who was identified as 3 years old by Rodriguez and 2 years old by National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez, was later taken for medical treatment.

“We must maintain hope of continuing to find living people under the rubble,” Jorge said in a televised speech. “A 2-year-old child was rescued early this morning and is currently receiving care at a health center in Caracas.”

A shipment of 47 metric tons of humanitarian supplies from UNICEF arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday, UN spokesman Stephane ‌Dujarric said, adding that the equipment will help provide support to children and families in need.

Dujarric added that the shipment includes emergency health kits for emergency medical care, including safe birth, newborn care, and disease prevention and treatment.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Additional reporting by Oliver Griffin and Sarah Morland; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)