Against all odds, a Venezuelan security guard has been pulled alive from the ruins of a collapsed shopping mall after spending more than eight days trapped beneath tons of concrete-an extraordinary rescue that many are calling nothing short of a miracle.
Forty-four-year-old Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was on duty at the nine-story Galerias Playa Grande shopping center in La Guaira when devastating 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, bringing the building crashing down around him.
As hope faded with each passing day, an international rescue effort refused to give up.
On Thursday, rescuers from seven countries finally reached Flores after battling dangerous aftershocks, unstable debris and repeated collapses to carve a new path through the wreckage.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, who closely followed the operation and shared updates throughout the week, celebrated the emotional rescue on social media.
"After more than 72 hours of work and after facing a highly unstable structure, aftershocks, collapses and the need to open a new access path, we rescued alive Hernán Alberto Gil Flores," Bukele said, thanking God for what he described as a miracle.
The multinational rescue mission included specialists from El Salvador, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico and Costa Rica, whose relentless determination ultimately brought Flores safely back into the daylight.
"Our admiration and recognition go to every rescuer who participated," Bukele wrote. "And to Hernán, whose strength and resilience for more than seven days were extraordinary. Thank God for allowing this miracle."
Videos released by Chilean firefighters captured heartbreaking moments from inside the rubble, showing Flores weak, visibly bruised and growing thinner, yet remarkably calm as rescuers reassured him that help was coming.
Just moments before his rescue, Flores' wife, Gusvimar Gonzales, admitted she had already begun mourning her husband.
"These have been days of great sorrow," she told CNN. "When I found out he was alive, I saw a ray of sunshine. He held on like a hero."
While Flores' rescue has become a rare story of hope amid overwhelming devastation, Venezuela continues to face an enormous humanitarian crisis. Authorities say nearly 2,600 people have died in the twin earthquakes, while an estimated 50,000 remain missing as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Beyond search-and-rescue operations, international teams are also delivering desperately needed humanitarian aid. Bukele said emergency workers are distributing food, clean drinking water, medicine and medical supplies to communities devastated by the disaster.
Meanwhile, World Central Kitchen has established a major relief hub near La Guaira capable of serving up to 30,000 meals every day. The organization is also providing bottled water, ice and essential supplies while delivering meals to shelters, hospitals and even the Caracas morgue, where families continue waiting for news of missing loved ones.
For many watching around the world, Flores' survival serves as a remarkable reminder that even in the darkest disasters, hope can sometimes emerge from beneath the rubble.
