by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
CARACAS (Worthy News) – As the death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes approached 1,000 on Friday, stories of courage emerged from the rubble, including that of a young mother who sacrificed her own life to save her toddler daughter.
Football (soccer) player Héctor Bello said his wife, Andrea, shielded their daughter during the powerful earthquakes that struck the Caracas region.
“I’ll tell her how you saved her,” Bello wrote on the social media platform Instagram. “You gave your life for our daughter.”
His comments came as rescuers searched collapsed buildings after the magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes killed at least 920 people and injured more than 3,300, authorities said.
Foreign rescue teams and emergency aid reached the hardest-hit areas nearly two days after the disaster.
RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUE
Authorities said 172 people remained trapped beneath the rubble. A citizen-run website established to help families locate loved ones had logged more than 50,000 reports of missing people by Friday afternoon, although the figures had not been officially verified.
Amid the misery, Bello said he traveled to Caracas, where his daughter remained hospitalized.
“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 wrote on Instagram.
Bello later wrote: “How do I explain to your daughter that you lost your life to save hers, and that I wasn’t there to do anything? How do I explain it? Give me strength now.”
A Venezuelan football media organization, Cumaná de Campeones, confirmed Andrea’s death, saying the couple’s daughter survived the collapse of the family’s apartment building. U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster Univision also reported her death.
MORE VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
As rescue efforts continued, more victims were identified.
The Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) confirmed that two football players were among those killed. Caracas Fútbol Club said its under-18 player, Razan Sijaa, died alongside family members when their home collapsed in La Guaira.
Club Sport San Agustín also confirmed the death of academy player Víctor Palacios, saying he left an “indelible mark” on the club.
Former Miss Venezuela Giselle Reyes announced on Instagram that her mother died after the earthquakes caused her apartment building in La Guaira to collapse. Reyes said the shock of the disaster triggered a fatal heart attack.
The disaster also claimed foreign lives. Spanish media, citing the Foreign Ministry, reported that four Spanish citizens were killed and 106 others remained unaccounted for. Portugal confirmed the death of one of its citizens, while Brazil said two Brazilians also died in the catastrophe.
Portuguese President António José Seguro expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Portuguese community living in the South American nation.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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