Rescue teams from Jordan working in earthquake-ravaged Venezuela pulled a young child alive from the debris of a collapsed building early Tuesday morning — a rare breakthrough on the sixth day of search-and-rescue operations, Venezuelan authorities confirmed.
The child, identified as Klieber Moran, was freed from the rubble of the Los Corales Garden 1 building in La Guaira state. Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced the rescue in a message posted to Telegram, saying the child was taken to receive medical care following the ordeal.
The rescue came after Venezuela was struck by two earthquakes — measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — that hit less than a minute apart last Wednesday. The back-to-back quakes toppled buildings and left thousands of people trapped beneath the wreckage, according to authorities and rescue teams on the ground.
There was some confusion over the child’s exact age. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez described Moran as 3 years old, while National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez referred to the child as 2 years old in a televised address.
“We must hold onto the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the rubble,” Jorge said. “Early this morning, a 2-year-old boy was rescued and is currently receiving care at a health center in Caracas.”
Meanwhile, a major delivery of humanitarian aid touched down in Venezuela on Tuesday. United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that a UNICEF shipment carrying 47 metric tons of supplies had arrived to help children and families in need.
Dujarric said the shipment contains emergency health kits designed to provide urgent medical care, including supplies for safe deliveries, newborn care, disease prevention, and treatment for those affected by the disaster.
