Rescue crews in Caracas have been working in near silence since Wednesday evening, straining to hear signs of life from beneath a collapsed residential building. The incident, which occurred in the working-class neighbourhood of La Vega, has left an unknown number of people trapped. Officials estimate that at least 30 individuals were inside when the five-storey structure gave way.
Emergency services have deployed sniffer dogs and acoustic listening devices. The operation is painstaking. Crews shout for silence before any movement. “No one move,” a coordinator repeated as rescue teams paused to listen. The silence was broken only by the occasional creak of unstable debris and the distant hum of generators.
President Nicolas Maduro’s administration has declared three days of national mourning. In a statement, the Ministry of Interior and Justice confirmed that rescue efforts are ongoing but provided no casualty figures. Local media report that at least five bodies have been recovered, though this remains unconfirmed by official sources.
The collapse has drawn attention to Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure. Years of economic crisis, hyperinflation, and a shortage of construction materials have left many buildings in poor repair. In La Vega, residents had previously complained of cracks in walls and leaking pipes. The government has not commented on the building’s structural history.
International offers of assistance have been made. Colombia and Brazil have sent search and rescue teams and specialised equipment. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has offered support, though it remains unclear if the request will be accepted given the strained diplomatic relations between Caracas and the international community.
For now, the focus remains on the rescue. Every hour diminishes the chances of finding survivors. The crews rotate, exhausted but determined. In the near silence of the night, each sound — a bird call, a shifting stone, a muffled cry — is a reason to hope.
