Two Young Boys Pulled Alive from Venezuela Earthquake Rubble After Days Trapped

Two 11-year-old boys have been rescued from beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings in Venezuela, offering rare moments of hope amid one of the deadliest earthquake disasters in the country's recent history. The rescues came days after two powerful tremors — measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 — struck within 39 seconds of each other on Wednesday, flattening hundreds of buildings and leaving tens of thousands of people missing.

The first boy, named Moises, was pulled from roughly three metres of debris on Saturday after a Colombian rescue team spent six hours carrying out what they described as "high-precision work" to reach him. Footage shared widely online showed him being carried out with his eyes shielded from the sun, greeted by applause from rescue workers. Reports indicated his mother and sister, who were found near him, had not survived.

Hours later, Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced a second 11-year-old boy had also been rescued in the coastal town of Caraballeda, sharing video of his recovery on X. "In these hours, every life is hope for Venezuela," she wrote. Officials say the coastal region of La Guaira, where Caraballeda is located, has suffered the greatest destruction.

The official death toll has now climbed to at least 1,430, with rescuers continuing to work more than 85 hours after the first quake. Emergency workers say survivors could still be alive under the rubble, particularly those with access to food or water, and have urged families not to abandon hope. Aftershocks have complicated efforts, frightening residents and slowing the removal of debris.

Thousands of displaced residents have sought shelter in open spaces, including a golf course in Caraballeda that has been transformed into a makeshift hospital, donation centre, and helicopter landing pad. Families who lost everything are sifting through donated clothing and humanitarian supplies, while heavy machinery works through the cracked, dust-covered streets nearby.

Rodríguez, addressing the nation on Sunday, said the José María Vargas sports complex in La Guaira was also functioning as an emergency response hub. "Let them know that no one here is alone," she said, adding that international solidarity was being felt across the country as Venezuela works to recover from the catastrophe.