Search-and-rescue teams rescued a 44-year-old security guard from the rubble of a collapsed shopping mall in Venezuela on Thursday [1], [5].

The survival of Hernán Alberto Gil Flores highlights the critical window for urban search-and-rescue operations following catastrophic structural failures. His rescue comes after a multi-national effort to locate survivors amidst the debris of a massive commercial complex.

Flores was trapped beneath the Galerías Playa Grande, a nine-story shopping mall [6], in La Guaira state [1], [3]. He remained under the debris for eight days [2], though some reports cited seven days [3]. The collapse occurred after two strong earthquakes struck the region on June 24, 2026 [4], [5].

Rescue teams from El Salvador and Chile coordinated the operation to extract Flores from the wreckage [1], [2]. The effort involved navigating the unstable remains of the large structure to reach the survivor before the window for viable rescue closed.

Flores was pulled from the rubble on July 2, 2026 [4], [5]. He was transported by stretcher as teams continued to manage the disaster site in La Guaira [1], [3].

“Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed shopping mall in Venezuela.”

The rescue of a survivor eight days after a building collapse is a rare event that underscores the importance of specialized international rescue teams. The collaboration between El Salvador, Chile, and Venezuela demonstrates how multi-national technical expertise in urban search-and-rescue can extend the timeline for finding survivors in high-density structural failures.