health
Rescue teams in Venezuela race to save security guard trapped under building that collapsed during earthquakes
Updated on: June 30, 2026 / 9:15 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- International rescue teams, including from the U.S., are working to save people trapped under rubble in northern Venezuela nearly a week after back-to-back earthquakes.
- A 44-year-old security guard, Hernan Gil Flores, has been trapped for six days under a partially collapsed 10-story building in La Guaira.
- The confirmed death toll from the 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude quakes was over 1,900 as of Tuesday, with tens of thousands missing.
- Small miracles have occurred, such as the rescue of an 18-day-old baby and his mother, and a mother and her 9-month-old baby.
- Venezuelan officials report that approximately 6,400 people have been rescued.
- NASA satellite data estimates nearly 59,000 buildings were damaged or collapsed, and the U.N. states 1.8 million people need humanitarian assistance.
- The worst destruction is in La Guaira, forcing residents to seek shelter elsewhere, with some living in tents.
- A security guard's wife confirmed contact with her husband, who is receiving water and is reportedly not injured.