It isn't just humans who are helping and being helped. Amazing accounts include finding dogs and cats alive, from under the rubble cleared away by rescue workers, as well as canines assisting in that effort.
If you're not on X, you've likely missed some of the amazing rescue stories emerging from the rubble left by two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. (Screengrab image: via X-Christian Crespo F.)
To be sure, there are heartbreaking numbers of people who've been killed or remain buried in the crumbled cement ruins of what were once tall hotels, apartments and office buildings.
At the time of this writing, 1,719 are confirmed dead and 5,034 injured, according to Grok, X AI.
The two earthquakes struck the South American country in its northwestern and central parts, registering first at 7.2 and followed less than a minute later by the second at 7.5.
Huge, towering buildings collapsed down to their lobbies, trapping those inside underneath mountains of crushed cement. Extricating them is a seemingly insurmountable task, however, the rescue effort began almost immediately, enhanced by teams from El Salvador and the United States.
Here are some of the descriptions of successful and often heroic rescues I've seen posted on X, click on each link to view the video or image:
"Just minutes ago, at 7:50pm, they rescued the boy Carlos Miguel Comenares Gutiérrez, after 122 hours under the rubble. His father Carlos Colmenares never stopped fighting all these days to reach his son alive. He was found today at 2 pm, when it seemed impossible..." -Roi Lopez Rivas via X
"TRAGIC: In a heartbreaking act of maternal heroism during the recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, the wife of Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello sacrificed her life to save their one-year-old daughter. Andrea Bello was pulled dead from the ruins of a collapsed building in La Guaira, but rescuers found their baby girl alive in her arms. The mother had used her own body as a human shield to protect her child from the falling debris. Prayers for the Bello family, for the little girl's healing, and for all those affected by this tragedy." -Mike Netter via X
"An 18 day old baby rescued from the earthquake rubble in Venezuela is handed back to the father. Notice the joy and love on everyone's face especially the father ... can you imagine how he feels right now?" -Leah Rain via X (Screengrab image: via X-Leah Rain)
"While the world was shaking... this family recorded their own miracle from inside the rubble. In the pitch-black darkness of their collapsed apartment in Venezuela, Oriana, Luciano, and Jofram didn't just wait to be rescued—they filmed themselves. For hours they were trapped under the debris after the earthquake. You can hear them:
• Banging on the walls to signal they were still alive
• Praying quietly
• Encouraging each other with hope
Here's what they were actually saying (translated from Spanish): 'My God... let that hole open so they can reach us... please Lord...' 'We're here! We're alive!' (They keep knocking and calling out, refusing to give up)" -MAGA X Times Daily News
And it isn't just humans who are helping and being helped. Amazing accounts include finding dogs and cats alive, from the rubble cleared away by rescue workers, as well as canines assisting in that effort.
"'It's the only thing I have left from my home': young man rescues his cat in Venezuela. Martina, who was just rescued by her owner, José Rodríguez, and other volunteers, was pulled out from beneath tons of rubble. José lost his two sisters, his mother, a little dog, and his apartment was left in ruins. His one-year-old cat is the only thing this young man from La Guaira has left after this earthquake that affected thousands of Venezuelans. Animals are valuable too, and many rescuers work to save them and provide them with timely care." -El Tiempo via X
"Even the little female dog's desperate to take (her) babies out..." -Jhon via X (The video shows a mother dog digging among the rubble, trying to get to her puppies that she knows are trapped below, while a man helps by clearing out large pieces of the fallen structure. Finally he reaches the puppies and pulls them out one-by-one. Mama dog is ecstatic. The next scene reveals the dog nursing her pups, her look seems to be one of relief and gratitude, at least as I—a dog-owner myself—interpret it)
And finally I must highlight the important work of a rescue-dog named Tsunami. A post on X by Maria P describes this canine hero:
"Tsunami, a 9-year-old border collie, has been moving the world by helping rescue ... people after the earthquakes that struck Venezuela. Working in search operations in La Guaira, one of the regions hardest hit by the disaster, the dog has become a symbol of hope amid the rescue efforts. ... Rescued as a puppy from a situation of abuse, Tsunami now is part of a specialized search and rescue team and has already taken part in international missions. His work alongside the rescuers has been essential for locating survivors under the rubble."
Word is, Tsunami has now retired from his search and rescue work, as Ceciarmy notes in his X post:
"Tsunami has officially completed his mission. After finding more than 350 people in Venezuela, the exhaustion and its effort are visible in its eyes." (Screengrab image: via X-ceciarmy)
*This article was originally posted on Breaking Christian News
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