A Southern California man has died after being caught in a hotel collapse during a recent earthquake in Venezuela. Romildo Batista de Lima was vacationing with his wife, Carlha Nacarid, when the tremor struck.
As the earthquake hit, a wall in the hotel where they were staying collapsed on the couple. Both were transported to a hospital, where de Lima succumbed to his injuries. Nacarid survived but sustained severe injuries, including a broken leg and hip.
De Lima's son, Daniel de Lima, is working to arrange for his father's body to be transported from Venezuela to Brazil for burial, which was his father's wish. "My priority right now is to get his body from Venezuela to Brazil. That’s where he wanted to be buried," Daniel de Lima told ABC7 Eyewitness News. "Trying to coordinate that with my Brazilian side of the family that’s over there. And at this moment he’s en route to Brazil where he wants to be laid to rest."
An earthquake struck Venezuela on June 24, reportedly causing widespread destruction and resulting in over 1,700 fatalities. The event impacted numerous structures, including hotels where visitors were staying. The family of Romildo Batista de Lima is processing their grief following the loss of their husband and father amidst the natural disaster.