A 12-year-old Venezuelan girl has become a symbol of hope after surviving nearly 32 hours trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed apartment building following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.Fabiana Blanco was rescued alive after spending more than a day under the debris of a 10-storey residential building that collapsed during the twin earthquakes, which measured magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. The quakes caused widespread destruction, particularly in the coastal state of La Guaira, leaving thousands dead or injured and displacing many more. Rescue operations have continued for days as emergency crews and international teams search for survivors.
Speaking after her rescue, Fabiana recalled how she managed to stay alive while waiting to be found. She said she survived by eating ketchup and grated cheese that she found among the rubble. Despite the frightening ordeal, she said she never lost hope that rescuers would reach her.
While trapped, Fabiana also recorded a video on her mobile phone. In the footage, she appealed for help, explaining that she was unable to call anyone because there was no phone signal beneath the collapsed building. The video was later shared by rescuers after she was safely brought to the surface.Her rescue was carried out after emergency workers detected signs of life beneath the debris. Teams carefully removed concrete and rubble before reaching the young survivor. Images released after the operation showed Fabiana reunited with volunteer rescuer Hector Arismendy, who later showed her the video she had recorded while trapped underground.
Fabiana sustained a fractured foot along with cuts and bruises but survived the collapse. Her rescue has been one of several remarkable survival stories to emerge from the disaster, which has seen emergency responders continue searching for people trapped beneath destroyed homes, apartment buildings and commercial structures.
The earthquakes triggered one of Venezuela’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history. According to official figures reported in the days following the disaster, more than 2,200 people have died, thousands have been injured, and tens of thousands remain displaced. Rescue teams from around 30 countries joined Venezuelan emergency personnel, using specialised equipment, search dogs and acoustic detection devices to locate survivors.
Despite the passing of the critical 72-hour survival window, rescue crews have continued to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings. Among them were a security guard rescued after spending eight days trapped under a shopping centre and several others pulled alive from the rubble after more than four days underground. These rescues have provided rare moments of hope amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Fabiana’s survival has drawn international attention, highlighting both the resilience of earthquake survivors and the determination of rescue workers who continue searching through unstable structures despite difficult conditions. Her account of surviving on ketchup and cheese for nearly 32 hours has become one of the most widely shared personal stories to emerge from the disaster, reflecting the extraordinary circumstances faced by those caught beneath the rubble.
