Earthquake in Venezuela: CNN enters building where man was trapped for 8 days

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 44, was rescued alive this Thursday (2) after remaining buried for eight days under about nine meters of rubble in the parking lot of a shopping center that collapsed in the region of La Guaira, Venezuela, approximately 40 kilometers from Caracas.

The case was treated as a miracle, especially by family members who closely followed the efforts to reach him.

The rescue operation lasted more than 70 hours and involved international search and rescue teams. Hernán, who worked as security at the establishment, was located on Tuesday (30), but could only be removed from the rubble this Thursday.

During this period, emergency teams maintained contact with him and provided water, food and medicine through a hose and a syringe, supporting him until the rescue could be completed.

Operation described as "quite delicate"
Correspondent Sergio Furtado entered the building where Hernán was trapped and reported the conditions there. According to him, the structure of the building was quite unstable, which required all teams to move with extreme caution.

"This was a very delicate operation," said Furtado, adding that the mission also took time due to the aftershocks of the earthquake recorded in recent days. Elements of the Portuguese GNR participated in the operation, as well as rescue dogs, described as "essential help" in locating survivors.

One of the doctors responsible for Hernán's care classified the outcome as a miracle. "It's totally a miracle and, of course, the work of the rescuers who accompanied him for much of that time gave him encouragement, gave him hydration, fed him. That was also decisive", declared doctor Luis Rodriguez.

After the rescue, Hernán was transferred to a health unit and, according to the fire department, is in good condition. His wife and children are waiting for him at home.

Brazil sends teams and field hospital
La Guaira concentrates the main search and rescue work after the tremors. The Brazilian government sent five planes with rescuers from different states, as well as search equipment, medicine and a field hospital with the capacity to treat 100 people per day in the region.

CNN managed to contact teams from the Minas Gerais and São Paulo fire departments who collaborate in the operations.

Hernán's rescue adds to more than 6,000 lives already removed from the rubble in the region. Furtado also pointed out that there are indications that three dead people remain buried in the same building, and that Venezuela records around 40 thousand people missing as a result of the earthquakes.

Amid the operations, rescuers and relatives of the missing are asking for more specialized equipment, such as cranes, to check for survivors in the pockets formed in the rubble.

Reports of obstacles to international teams
The international relief effort is revealing operational difficulties in Venezuelan territory. German rescuers reported that they were unable to enter the country, and an American organization said it was facing difficulties accessing operation sites.

A Chilean rescue team, Topos de Chile, reported that the Venezuelan military demanded documentation from each rescuer in the rubble itself, suspecting them of being spies.

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Source: CNN