The devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week have claimed the lives of multiple professional soccer players, adding to the growing human toll from one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in more than a century.
Rescue Efforts Continue
At least 1,719 people have died following the powerful 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck within seconds of each other on Wednesday, with thousands more injured. Officials warn the death toll could continue to rise as rescue crews search through the rubble.
Among the victims are the wife and two young children of Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo, who plays for Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira. Trejo was training with his club in Caracas when the earthquakes struck. He immediately rushed back to his home in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, only to find his apartment building reduced to rubble.
Before the deaths were confirmed, Trejo told Noticias Telemundo he searched desperately for his family by hand. He said he was digging through the rubble by hand, explaining that there was little heavy equipment available to assist rescuers.
After three days of searching, rescue workers recovered the bodies of his wife, Yanina, and the couple’s two children, Aaron and Ainhoa. Club Sport Marítimo confirmed the deaths in a statement, offering condolences to Trejo and his family.
Another Venezuelan player, Héctor Bello, also suffered a devastating loss. According to local reports, Bello’s wife, Andrea, died while shielding the couple’s infant daughter when their home collapsed during the earthquake.
Rescuers later found the child, Alana, alive beneath the debris. She remains in stable condition, along with her aunt. Bello, who was away from home when the earthquake struck, paid tribute to his wife in a social media post.
“You gave your own life for our daughter,” he wrote. “You were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths.”
Venezuelan soccer officials said the disaster also claimed the lives of two youth players. Víctor Palacios, who played in Club Sport San Augustín’s academy, was killed in the earthquake. Razan Sijaa, a player for Caracas Fútbol Club, died alongside family members when their home in La Guaira collapsed.
Emergency crews continue searching collapsed buildings across the country, although rescue officials say hopes of finding survivors have diminished. The critical 72-hour window, when people trapped beneath debris are most likely to survive, passed over the weekend.
The U.S. Geological Survey has warned that the final death toll could eventually exceed 10,000. The twin earthquakes are the most powerful to strike Venezuela since 1900, leaving widespread destruction across coastal communities and prompting an international rescue response as recovery efforts continue.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
