A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela on June 24, causing widespread destruction. In Caraballeda, La Guaira state, a 10-story building collapsed, trapping 12-year-old Fabiana Blanco inside for 32 hours. Her mother, Karina Blanco, frantically searched for her daughter amid the debris.
Earthquake Strikes During Spinning Class
Karina Blanco was about to start her spinning class when the ground began to shake. The tremors intensified, prompting her and others to flee outdoors. “When I realised the magnitude of it, I started screaming ‘my daughter, my daughter’. I sat in my car and drove as fast as I could,” Karina said. Her daughter Fabiana was alone at home when the first quake hit, followed seconds later by a second tremor measuring 7.5—one of the strongest in Venezuela in a century.
Building Collapses, Girl Trapped
Upon reaching her building in Caraballeda, Karina was horrified. “I could see one building, then a gap where my building stood, and then another building,” she recalled. Inside their first-floor flat, Fabiana felt the earthquakes and ran to the kitchen. As she held onto the counter, the walls collapsed around her. “I saw things shaking, falling, breaking, and then the walls cracked. The wall separating my apartment from a friend’s collapsed. At that moment, I thought, ‘I’m going to die. I won’t survive this. No-one is going to rescue me,’” Fabiana said.
Mother’s Despair and Hope
Outside, Karina saw half of her daughter’s bed protruding from the rubble. “I was running from one end of the complex to the other screaming ‘She’s dead. My daughter is dead’. I didn’t know what to do,” she said. Under the debris, Fabiana lay face up, trapped with the ceiling nearly touching her face. Despite her usual anxiety and claustrophobia, she felt a strange calm. “Maybe my mind was in shock,” she said.
Rescue Efforts and a Nurse’s Help
A nurse who cared for upstairs neighbours began calling out to survivors. Fabiana responded. “She told me to stay calm and that everything would be alright,” Fabiana said. Six hours after the quake, around midnight, the nurse was rescued. She told volunteers that a girl named Fabiana was alive inside. “I had surrendered to God asking for strength to begin a new life without Fabiana. And then someone told me, ‘Your daughter is alive’,” said Karina. She rushed back to the building, screaming into gaps, but Fabiana could not hear her.
Survival on Ketchup and Cheese
Trapped, Fabiana found a bottle of ketchup and some grated cheese, which kept her conscious. She also discovered her phone and recorded a video, despite no signal. “Apartment - Ritamar Palace. There was a tremor and lot of rubble has fallen. There is no light. There is no-one to rescue us. I am alone. Many neighbours are trapped in the rubble. We need your help,” she said in the video.
Volunteer Viktor Becomes Hero
At dawn, Venezuelan firefighters arrived but could not hear Fabiana and left. Karina despaired. Then a volunteer named Viktor approached. “He - Viktor - was my hero,” she said. Viktor climbed the debris and called out; this time Fabiana heard him and replied. “I turned to everyone and screamed, ‘my daughter is alive’,” said Karina. People arrived with tools, but firefighters deemed it impossible and left. Despite this, Viktor and volunteers continued, eventually rescuing Fabiana after 32 hours.
