American search-and-rescue teams pulled an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela days after the country’s devastating earthquakes, the U.S. Department of State said Saturday.
Rescue Efforts
The rescue came as emergency crews raced against time to locate survivors before the critical rescue window closes. The State Department shared video on social media showing U.S. personnel pulling the infant from the rubble as rescue crews continued searching for survivors more than 72 hours after two powerful earthquakes struck the South American country.
Round-the-clock rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast Wednesday. As of Saturday evening, officials said the death toll from the twin earthquakes had reached 1,430. Earlier Saturday, officials reported that 243 people had been rescued.
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California, and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings. According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, including firefighters, physicians, structural engineers, and canine search specialists.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
