Fabiana Blanco, who was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed 10-story building following a powerful earthquake in Venezuela, has been rescued after 32 hours.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing reports from the BBC, the 32-year-old resident of La Guaira, one of the cities most severely affected by the disaster, recounted the harrowing moments she spent trapped and the subsequent rescue operation.
Blanco described being at home when the earthquake struck, noting that the building began to shake violently. "I saw everything collapsing and the walls falling. I thought I was going to die," she stated.
Reports indicate that while trapped, Blanco heard the voice of a neighbor, a nurse, and maintained hope. The nurse, who was rescued six hours after the collapse, alerted emergency responders to Blanco's location. During her time under the debris, Blanco managed to sustain herself by consuming small amounts of food she found nearby, specifically ketchup and cheese, which helped her remain conscious.
Rescue teams eventually located her after hearing her voice, successfully extracting her following a 32-hour search and rescue operation. Following her rescue, Blanco expressed disbelief that she had survived the ordeal.
It is worth noting that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck Venezuela on June 24. Official figures indicate that the earthquakes resulted in thousands of fatalities and tens of thousands of injuries, causing widespread destruction across the region. According to preliminary assessments by the United Nations, the economic damage in the country is estimated in the billions of dollars, and search and rescue operations remain ongoing.
