A British search and rescue team has extracted a newborn infant alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Caracas, in what officials have described as a ‘miracle’ operation. The infant, estimated to be less than 48 hours old, was found trapped beneath a concrete slab after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Venezuelan capital on Tuesday.
The rescue effort, coordinated by the UK’s International Search and Rescue team, involved sniffer dogs, listening devices, and hydraulic cutting equipment. A specialist medic stabilised the baby on site before evacuation to a field hospital. The mother was later found alive two blocks away, having been separated during the collapse.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary called the rescue ‘a testament to the skill and bravery of our emergency personnel’. The team, deployed within hours of the quake, is part of a 60-strong contingent assisting local authorities. The incident has focused attention on the fragility of Venezuela’s infrastructure, much of which has deteriorated amid economic collapse.
