Rescue workers in Venezuela have saved a newborn baby who spent 32 hours trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed building following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country’s northern coast.
Footage circulating on social media on Friday captured the dramatic rescue in La Guaira, the city worst affected by the twin quakes.
Under floodlights, emergency responders carefully lifted the infant from the wreckage before passing the child from one rescuer to another as onlookers applauded.
Wrapped in a quilt, the baby was later gently cleaned with tissues by rescuers, according to the video.
Andreina Quintero, the social media user who shared the footage, said the infant was only 18 days old and appeared unharmed despite spending more than a day trapped under the rubble. She added that the baby’s mother had been rescued about an hour earlier.
In another video posted later on Friday, Quintero showed the mother receiving treatment in a hospital. A healthcare worker informed her that the baby did not appear to have suffered any injuries.
The medic then suggests that the mother saved the baby by covering the child with her body or another object.
The rescue has provided a rare moment of hope amid a disaster that has claimed hundreds of lives.
Authorities said at least 920 people died after two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck on Wednesday.
Thousands of others were injured, while many remain unaccounted for as search-and-rescue operations continue.
