Man rescued eight days after Venezuela quakes

The quakes have killed 2,295 people and injured 11,267, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.

La Guaira: Rescuers pulled a man alive from the rubble of a collapsed nine-storey building in Venezuela on Thursday, eight days after twin earthquakes devastated the country on June 24.

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 44, was trapped beneath 29ft of debris after the collapse of a shopping mall parking structure in La Guaira. Local and international rescuers rescued the security guard af­ter a 70-hour operation. Chil­e’s fire brigade said Flores was in good condition and had been taken to a medical facility.

Flores’s wife, Gusbimar Gonzales, said she had feared he was dead before learning he was alive. “Once I found out that he was alive I saw a ray of sunshine,” she told CNN.

Over 6,400 people have been rescued by over 4,000 local and international respo­nders. Authorities have reco­r­ded 782 aftershocks.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of national mourning, saying the country was grieving the victims. “In these mo­m­ents of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to acc­ompany and protect them.”