Venezuela Quake Toll Rises: Footballer's Wife Dies Shielding Toddler, Over 920 Dead

A mother has been hailed as a hero after she lost her life shielding her young daughter during the deadly twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 920 people and leaving more than 3,000 others injured.

Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello, widely known as "Kike", confirmed the death of his wife Andrea in an emotional series of posts on Instagram. Bello, who was not in Caracas at the time of the disaster, described his heartbreak at not being present during the catastrophe. "I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love — how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths," he wrote.

Bello later confirmed that his daughter and her aunt had been admitted to hospital but were in a stable condition. "My daughter and her aunt are doing well, they won't be discharged today — they're staying at the hospital. Thank you so much for supporting me through this immense pain," he posted. The local footballers' association Cumaná de Campeones also confirmed that Andrea's body was recovered from the rubble of the building where the family had been living.

The earthquakes, which struck near the capital Caracas, have left a trail of destruction across several communities. Among the dead are two young footballers — Razan Sijaa, an under-18 player for Caracas Fútbol Club who died alongside family members in La Guaira, and Victor Palacios, a player in the academy of Club Sport San Agustín who also played for Marítimo de La Guaira. Both clubs paid tribute to the players on social media.

Former Miss Venezuela Giselle Reyes also announced the death of her mother, who suffered a fatal heart attack brought on by the shock of the earthquakes after the building she resided in at La Guaira completely collapsed. Rescuers are continuing to comb through rubble in search of survivors, with many people still reported missing days after the disaster struck.