The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, struck Venezuela last Wednesday, killing family members of two professional footballers and causing widespread destruction — the disasters have claimed at least 1,450 lives, with fears the death toll could reach 10,000.

Argentinian Player’s Family Found in Rubble

Lucas Trejo. An Argentinian footballer signed to Club Sport Marítimo in La Guaira, lost his wife, Yanina, and their two children, Aaron and Ainhoa, in the earthquakes. Trejo was training in Caracas when the quakes hit and immediately returned to La Guaira, where he searched for his family for three days before their bodies were recovered by rescuers.

“Absolutely nothing was left of his home,” said Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, according to CNN; Trejo spent time sifting through the rubble, hoping to find his loved ones alive.

Local Player’s Wife Sacrifices to Save Daughter

Héctor Bello. Another local football player. Lost his wife. Andrea, who died shielding their infant daughter, Alana, when their home collapsed; Bello was away from home when the earthquake struck, but local media reported that rescuers later found Alana. She is in stable condition alongside her aunt, according to Bello.

“You gave your own life for our daughter … you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths,” Bello wrote in an Instagram post, expressing his grief and gratitude for Andrea’s sacrifice.

Other Football Players and Families Among the Dead

Venezuelan football officials reported that the disaster also claimed the lives of youth players Victor Palacios and Razan Sijaa. Palacios was part of Club Sport San Augustín’s academy, while Sijaa played for Caracas Fútbol Club and died in the earthquake with his family at their home in La Guaira.

Sebastian Eugster, leader of the Swiss rescue team, noted that the 72-hour window for finding survivors had passed by Saturday. The US Geological Survey has predicted that the death toll could climb to 10,000, highlighting the scale of the catastrophe.

The earthquakes were the most powerful to hit Venezuela since 1900, according to official records. Rescue and recovery efforts continue as authorities work to assess the full impact of the disaster.