Families and volunteers persist in three-month search after La Guaira quake collapses

In the wake of the twin earthquakes that struck La Guaira on June 24, the 12-storey Jurel building and the Residencias Caribe residential towers remain riddled with debris and water, forcing survivors to set up makeshift camps. Cristian Verdú, who survived because he was away in Naiguatá, has been pleading for help to retrieve his mother and cousin, whose bodies lie in the collapsed structure. Nearby, Angie Sojo lives in a tent while waiting for rescuers to recover her husband, whose remains are trapped in the parking area of Tower B. Volunteer diggers, aided by a drone that confirmed several locations, continue to work without heavy machinery, and residents believe over 70 people are still unaccounted for in the complex. Flooding and lack of supplies have compounded the difficulty, but the community persists, driven by the desire to give the deceased proper rest and to move forward with their lives.