International rescue teams pull 3-year-old from earthquake rubble after six days

What is the background?

Two magnitude-7 earthquakes struck Caracas, Venezuela, around June 24, 2026. The quakes destroyed homes and trapped families under collapsed buildings across the capital. Venezuela earthquake rescue teams from more than 20 nations arrived within days to search for survivors.

What happened?

On June 30, 2026, six days after the earthquakes, rescuers pulled 3-year-old Kleiber Morán from the wreckage of a collapsed house in Caracas. Video footage showed him face down and covered in dust as rescuers lifted him free.

Jordan’s International Search and Rescue Team found the boy using snake cameras — narrow cameras built to search through small gaps in rubble. Rescuers carried him to safety, and he remained responsive throughout.

How did it happen?

Search teams from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Italy, Czechia, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, India, Vietnam, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Jordan, and Syria worked alongside Venezuelan crews across the disaster zone.

Teams used trained dogs, listening devices, and camera probes to find survivors buried under concrete and debris. The Jordanian team spent hours narrowing down Kleiber’s location before reaching him safely.

Rescuers also freed Aaron Levi Cantillo after 43 hours of continuous digging. He had been trapped for more than four days.

Why does it matter?

Six days is an unusually long survival window after a major earthquake. Kleiber’s rescue shows why international teams keep searching well beyond the first 72 hours, when most survivors are traditionally found.

The scale of the international response — more than 20 nations sending personnel — shows how countries set aside differences to support disaster relief. Local families credited the visiting teams with giving them hope during a devastating week.

What were the key results?

• Kleiber Morán, 3, rescued alive after 6 days under rubble in Caracas
• Rescue completed on June 30, 2026, six days after the June 24 earthquakes
• Jordan’s International Search and Rescue Team led the extraction using snake cameras
• More than 20 nations sent rescue personnel to Venezuela
• Aaron Levi Cantillo also rescued alive after 43 hours of digging
• Two magnitude-7 earthquakes triggered the search-and-rescue operation
• Search teams combined dogs, listening devices, and camera probes across the disaster zone

What happens next?

International rescue teams continue searching collapsed sites in Caracas for any remaining survivors.

Venezuelan authorities are coordinating with visiting nations on emergency shelter and medical care for displaced families.

Aid organisations plan to track long-term recovery needs as search-and-rescue operations wind down.

Rescue coordinators say they will document lessons from the operation to speed up future international deployments.