Portuguese rescue team pulls survivor out of rubble in Venezuela ‘six days on’

A Portuguese search-and-rescue team has located a survivor trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed shopping centre in Venezuela, six days after the devastating earthquakes that have killed more than 1,700 people.

The moment came yesterday in Catia La Mar, in the coastal state of La Guaira – one of the areas worst affected by the June 24 earthquakes.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) described it as “a sign of hope during a particularly critical phase” of search-and-rescue operations, with the chances of finding survivors reducing sharply with each passing day.

“Time remains the greatest adversary for teams working on the ground,” ANEPC stressed.

Since arriving in Venezuela, the Portuguese Joint Operational Force (FOCON) says it has been working continuously alongside Venezuelan authorities and international rescue teams, concentrating efforts on locating possible survivors in heavily damaged urban areas.

The operation at the collapsed shopping centre required specialist techniques, with rescuers advancing slowly through unstable debris while carrying out structural assessments, listening for signs of life, stabilising dangerous sections of the building and maintaining constant coordination between search, rescue and medical personnel.

The detection of life beneath the rubble prompted the Portuguese team to focus on creating safe access to the trapped survivor. Officials stressed that protecting the victim while ensuring the safety of rescue workers and preventing further structural collapse remains the overriding priority.

The Portuguese contingent said it remains fully committed to its mission, guided by the principle that “every life counts and no one should be left behind”.

Yesterday’s success comes after Portugal’s deployment initially faced delays while awaiting authorisation from Venezuelan authorities before being assigned operational duties, despite arriving in the country with specialist equipment and personnel ready to assist. Since beginning operations, the team has worked without interruption in some of the disaster’s most dangerous locations.

Officials said the successful detection of a survivor so many days after the event shows that search operations remain vital.

“So long as there is any possibility of finding life beneath the rubble,” said ANEPC in its statement, “the search will continue without interruption.”

Source: DNotícias (Madeira)/ ANEPC Facebook

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.