US rescuers have miraculously pulled a 9-month-old baby and her mother from the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, days after powerful earthquakes killed more than 1,400 people and injured over 3,300.
The Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 successfully extracted the infant and her mother from a destroyed structure on Saturday. The State Department shared on X, formerly Twitter, that "Against impossible odds, hope endures."
Harrowing video footage documented the rescue effort, showing emergency crews carefully pulling the baby, who could be heard crying, to safety. The infant was swaddled in a blue blanket as the team worked.
"American search and rescue teams rescued an infant from beneath the rubble following the earthquake in Venezuela. Every life saved is a victory," the US State Department stated. Both the baby and her mother, who was transported on a stretcher, sustained only minor injuries.
The US deployed more than 200 search and rescue personnel to aid in response to the widespread destruction caused by Wednesday's earthquakes, which registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. This humanitarian effort is part of a larger international response, with dozens of countries sending aid and rescue workers.
As of Saturday, at least 200 people had been rescued from the rubble across Venezuela. However, tens of thousands remain missing, according to Caracas authorities. International aid delegations, including thousands of workers, search dogs, and medical supplies, have arrived in the country to assist in the ongoing relief operations.