Venezuela earthquake survivor shares story of loss and resilience
Nayarit Colmenares spent days buried alive, lost her husband, and had her arm amputated.
On August 19, 2026, reports detailed the experience of Nayarit Colmenares, who spent two days buried alive after two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela. The disaster caused the death of her husband, Henry, and resulted in the amputation of the right hand of the architect and designer.
Buried in the dark and the discovery of the tragedy
Nayarit and Henry lived on the fourth floor of a building in Caraballeda, one of the areas in La Guaira most devastated by the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that shook the region. The apartment collapsed at 6:05 in the afternoon, and she realized she had been trapped for about an hour when her cell phone alarm went off at 7:00 at night. In the dark, as she felt around the room, she touched Henry's leg and realized he was dead.
The rescue by El Salvador firefighters
Unable to move due to the weight on her body, Nayarit used a piece of ceramic to strike a bathroom iron pipe. The sound attracted a group of rescuers from El Salvador, sent by the government of Nayib Bukele, who removed the rubble. The rescue took seven hours, requiring the firefighters to clear a path until they could pull out her arm, which was trapped under Henry's body.
The decision for amputation and recovery
After receiving first aid in La Guaira and being transferred to a private clinic in Caracas with costs covered by the Salvadoran government, Nayarit developed severe infections in her right hand. Faced with the threat of the bacteria reaching her bloodstream, specialists suggested amputation, which she accepted to save her life. Nearly two months after the tremors, which left more than 6,000 dead, she is undergoing physical therapy with her left hand and seeking resources to acquire an advanced myoelectric prosthesis.
With information from BBC Mundo.
Source: BBC Mundo