Venezuelan footballer Héctor Bello confirmed on Thursday that his wife, Andrea, died in the earthquake doublet that tore through the country on Wednesday. The tragedy occurred during the collapse of a building in La Guaira , where, according to reports, the young woman used her own body to protect their daughter, Alana, who was just one year old.
The child survived the tragedy. Andrea’s body was located after an intense search.
“Your mom left us… How am I supposed to tell my daughter that?” he wrote in an Instagram story alongside several photos of his wife. Later, the footballer posted another message on Threads to thank everyone for their support, although he confessed that he is going through the most difficult time of his life.
"I wish I could respond to everyone, but right now I'm experiencing a breakdown that I'm never going through in my life. I’m bleeding out without any wounds, I’m breathing, but I have no air in my lungs, I’m awake, but I don’t feel anything. Thank you all for your messages,” he added.
Not just Bello, a former Venezuelan beauty queen too confirmed the death of her mother in the earthquake. Gisselle Reyes, winner of the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant in 1985 and beauty queen trainer, confirmed the death of her mother, Omaira Reyes, who was in one of the buildings that collapsed.
The runway coach broke her silence through a statement she shared on Instagram. In her message, Gisselle Reyes explained that while her mother died during the earthquake, the cause was a heart attack.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue mission for missing Venezuelans continues. So far, the officials have confirmed 235 deaths. "Unfortunately, we have received around 235 patients who arrive without vital signs or die when they arrive at our health facilities," Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state media Thursday.
The number of dead and injured is expected to rise, with thousands reported missing.
Meanwhile, multiple digital platforms have emerged to locate missing persons. One of the most widely publicised initiatives is the website “Missing Persons Earthquake Venezuela”, created to centralise reports and facilitate the search for family members and loved ones, in a context marked by power outages, telecommunications failures and evacuations.
To register a missing person, the platform requests their full name and the location where they were last seen. It also allows users to add details such as age, physical description, clothing they were wearing, and even a photograph.
