Fate has written a new life for a Syrian expatriate family in Venezuela, after an unexpected coincidence saved them from certain death under the rubble of the apartment building they live in in the "La Guerra" area, following the two violent earthquakes that hit the country's northern coast with a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5.
The humanitarian miracle came at a time when thousands of international and local paramedics are racing against time to retrieve those trapped, amid genuine fears that time is running out and the chances of finding other survivors are diminishing under the crumbling buildings that have left a heavy toll of dead and missing.
Details of the Syrian Miracle
In exclusive statements to Sky News Arabia, the surviving Syrian citizen, Assem Al-Hinnawi, recounted the details of the terrifying moments he lived with his family, explaining that they are usually not at home at such a time, but their passion for following a football match prompted them to return home unusually early, and the earthquake began a few moments after their arrival.
Al-Hinnawi described his family as "returning from the dead", as the eight-storey building began to move frighteningly left and right before it collapsed completely.
Al-Hinnawi added that he was with his daughter in a part of the seventh floor that completely descended downwards under the weight of the collapse, while his wife was stuck in the other part that was not completely destroyed, so they continued to shout loudly to check on each other.
As the walls fell, his daughter hugged him and the cement rubble collapsed on them, leaving them unable to move even their fingers, while the child suffered from severe shortness of breath due to the terrible pressure on her neck.
Al-Hinnawi said they spent a full 6 hours under the rubble, before chance intervened again through a hole in the rubble on the eighth floor, which enabled the residents to hear their cries for help and rescue them with individual efforts due to the delay in the arrival of heavy equipment.
The "La Guaira" disaster
Field reports and Venezuelan state television confirmed that the "La Guera" area, north of the capital, Caracas, and the coastal city of "Catía La Mar", are the two hotspots most affected by the natural disaster, as the landslide caused the tragic collapse of dozens of residential complexes similar to the Syrian family building, in addition to the "Maikitia" international airport suffered severe damage that forced the authorities to close it and freeze air navigation there.
As a result of the serious security situation and the widespread destruction, the Venezuelan government declared La Guaira a disaster area, imposing full military control over it and restricting access to it, with the aim of protecting citizens' property, securing relief operations and combating possible looting.
Broad international alert
Jens Larke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), announced the deployment of a total of 25 international and medical teams with about 1,000 personnel specialized in urban relief and disaster emergencies. Crews and equipment from at least 17 countries poured into Venezuela, including the United States, which provided $150 million in aid and deployed helicopters and military ships to support operations, as well as specialized teams from Switzerland, Mexico, Britain, France, Germany, and Spain, and prominent Arab participation from Qatar and Jordan.
The story of the Syrian family's survival comes as a spot of light amid the darkness of one of the deadliest earthquakes in Venezuela's modern history, with official data reporting that the death toll has risen to 920, with more than 50,000 people missing according to UN estimates. A new 4.9-magnitude aftershock struck the north coast and was felt by residents of Caracas and Maracay, hampering efforts to lift huge concrete blocks and compounding fears of further collapses of cracked buildings.
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