The quakes destroyed hundreds of buildings, including apartment blocks up to 15 stories tall, and shut down Venezuela’s main international airport.
As rescue teams combed through collapsed buildings and searched for survivors in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes, a miraculous moment cut through the destruction: a woman giving birth in the rubble. According to The Telegraph, both mother and newborn survived.
The quakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday (June 24) with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hitting just 40 seconds apart. The shallow tremors levelled buildings across the Caribbean coast, with the city of La Guaira among the hardest hit. As per Reuters news agency, more than 1,400 people have been confirmed dead, thousands are injured, and tens of thousands remain missing.
According to a report by Metro, a woman identified as Dr Maria Fernanda Teran delivered a baby boy on a street beside a collapsed building in La Guaira. Bystanders helped support the woman as Teran delivered the child, who was later wrapped in blankets and handed to safety.
“Bringing a baby to the world while the earth shakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, is the greatest challenge of my life,” Teran wrote on social media. Local reports said both mother and baby were in good health after being transferred to a medical centre.
Separate reports from the same region described an 18-day-old infant was pulled alive from the ruins of an eight-story apartment in Playa Grande, La Guaira, after being trapped for 32 hours. His mother, Dayana Patino, was rescued an hour later. Doctors said neither had fractures, and medics believe the mother shielded the baby with her body.
Social media users called the newborns “a light in the darkness” and “proof that miracles still exist”.
“On a day when everything around us was destroyed, hearing this baby’s cry reminded us all that miracles exist,” one official told reporters. Teams said the baby’s first cry brought some to tears after hours of digging through concrete.
Scale of the disaster
The twin quakes destroyed hundreds of buildings, including apartment blocks up to 15 stories tall, and shut down Venezuela’s main international airport due to structural damage. The UN estimates that up to 6.76 million people may have been affected.
In La Guaira, residents used ropes, shovels, and their bare hands to search for loved ones. With hospitals damaged, field clinics were set up on streets to treat the injured. Search-and-rescue operations continue as crews race to find survivors.
While the overall toll remains grim, the survival of the newborns has offered a rare moment of hope. As one rescuer put it: “Even in the middle of the destruction, life carries on.”
PM Modi expressed sorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the devastation in Venezuela. “Deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the severe earthquakes in Venezuela. On behalf of the people of India, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially to the families who have lost their loved ones,” he wrote in a social media post. “We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult time. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance.”
