Rescue Halted for 10 Minutes at La Guaira Disaster Site
La Guaira, Venezuela – Rescue operations at the Mariola and Maribel Residences came to a tense standstill for approximately 10 minutes after a rescuer reported hearing a voice from beneath the rubble.
The site, located near a beach, was heavily impacted by a series of earthquakes. One of the two residential towers is now leaning dangerously and threatens to collapse, while the other has been completely destroyed.
Dozens of volunteers and emergency personnel have been working tirelessly, removing debris in a desperate search for survivors or bodies.
A Moment of Silence
The rescue effort was paused to allow for a clear listening period. For ten minutes, the workers fell silent, straining to hear any sign of life from the wreckage.
After 10 minutes of silence, no sound was detected from the rubble, and the alert was officially declared a false alarm.
Neighbors were the first to alert professional rescue teams, who arrived at the scene but departed shortly thereafter.
Background and Ongoing Efforts
The earthquakes occurred prior to Wednesday. Before the tremors struck, the beach area had been crowded with sunbathers enjoying a typical afternoon.
As of Saturday, 33 survivors had been pulled from the rubble, but optimism has decreased over time as the window for finding additional survivors narrows.