Venezuela experienced two strong earthquakes on June 24, 2026, with magnitudes near 7.2 and 7.5 that caused widespread damage. The twin quakes killed more than 920 people and injured over 3,300, leaving many missing and thousands homeless, especially in the northern regions including La Guaira state [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Héctor Bello, a defender for Marítimo de La Guaira, a Venezuelan second division football club, lost his wife Andrea during the disaster. Andrea shielded their 1-year-old daughter Alana with her body during the collapse of their home. Rescue teams later found Andrea's body in the rubble in La Guaira while Alana was rescued alive with minor injuries such as bruises and arm bandaging. She was reported in stable condition without life-threatening injuries [1, 2, 7, 3, 4].
Bello posted heartfelt messages on Instagram mourning his wife’s death. He described Andrea as “our greatest hero” who sacrificed her life to save their daughter: “I will tell our daughter how much you loved her, and how you saved her with your own life” [1]. He also expressed profound grief and loneliness: “The only unforgivable thing is that you left me alone to face this battle,” and promised to become strong for Alana’s happiness, saying, “I may not be strong or smile like before, but I promise to get better and make you the happiest girl in the world” [2, 7, 4].
In addition to the Bello family tragedy, Brazilian model Vanessa Zacarias da Silva, who moved to Venezuela two months ago, was confirmed dead after the quake in La Guaira [5, 6].
The earthquakes severely damaged key infrastructure, including airports, roads, and bridges across northern Venezuela. Over 4,000 people are reported homeless. Authorities report conflicting figures on missing persons, with estimates ranging from 172 to 5,000 [1, 5, 6].
Rescue efforts and damage assessments continue. The death toll is expected to rise as search operations progress and authorities gather more information [1, 2, 7, 3, 4].
