A Venezuelan mother tragically lost her life while shielding her daughter during the powerful twin earthquakes that recently struck the country, according to statements from footballer Héctor Bello and local media outlets. Writing on his Instagram, Bello identified the woman as his wife, Andrea, and recounted how she bravely sacrificed herself to ensure the survival of their toddler as their building collapsed.
“I’ll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love – how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths,” Bello shared in his emotional post. While the mother succumbed to the disaster, their daughter and her aunt survived the structural collapse and are currently being treated at a hospital in Caracas, where Bello traveled to be with them.
As search and rescue operations continue through the rubble, the official death toll from the twin quakes near the capital has risen to at least 920, with more than 3,000 others reported injured. The Venezuelan press and publicity organization Cumaná de Campeones also confirmed the passing, noting that while the mother died, the child was successfully pulled from the remains of their family home.
The scale of the catastrophe continues to emerge as more victims are identified and many remain missing following the disaster that occurred on Wednesday. Among the fatalities are two professional football players, as confirmed by their clubs and the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF). Caracas Fútbol Club reported the death of their under-18s player, Razan Sijaa, who perished alongside family members in La Guaira. Additionally, Victor Palacios, who had played for Marítimo de La Guaira and left an “indelible mark” on the Club Sport San Agustín academy, was also confirmed dead.
The impact of the quakes has reached various segments of society, with former Miss Venezuela Giselle Reyes reporting that her mother died after their building in La Guaira collapsed. Reyes stated that her mother passed away due to a heart attack triggered by the shock of the disaster. International casualties have also been confirmed; foreign ministries have reported the deaths of four Spanish nationals, one Portuguese citizen, and two Brazilian citizens, with over a hundred people still listed as unaccounted for.
