On the evening of June 24, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Venezuelan coastline, collapsing the 11-story Ritasol Palace building in Caraballeda, La Guaira. Jose Garcia, a 46-year-old car mechanic, was trapped in the basement with his two young sons, Diego (7) and Santiago (12), after the building fell.

His eldest son, Jesus Garcia, a former firefighter, rushed to the scene. Hearing his father's voice, he promised not to leave without them. With the help of a police rescue squad and his former firefighting colleagues, Jesus pulled his father and brothers from the rubble after 20 hours.

Official figures report 3,342 dead and over 50,000 missing. 856 buildings were damaged, 190 completely destroyed. Experts call it Venezuela's deadliest natural disaster in over a century.

Andreina Rey, who worked as a cook in Colombia, lost her daughter and two grandchildren. She now sleeps on the street near the ruins. On her daughter's 20th birthday, she lit candles on a cake and broke down crying.

Psychiatrist Jan Costa says the trauma is worsened by the government's alleged slow response. Critics accuse the authorities of hindering aid delivery and failing to address the crisis.

Jose still hopes his wife will be found alive. "I haven't lost hope," he says. But the future is uncertain: "We have to start from scratch, but we don't know at what cost."

Source: www.aljazeera.com