Man Rescued Alive From Venezuela Mall Rubble After More Than a Week 

Rescuers freed Hernán Gil Flores, 44, alive from the rubble of the collapsed Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in Venezuela after more than seven days trapped, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and Chile’s firefighters said.

The rescue capped an operation Bukele described as lasting more than 72 hours, complicated by an unstable structure, aftershocks and repeated collapses that forced crews to open a new access route.

Chile’s firefighters said their urban search and rescue team led the effort, working more than 70 hours, eight days after the earthquakes that struck Venezuela.

Bukele credited teams from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela and El Salvador.

Gil Flores had been trapped in a nine-story structure, Bukele said. An earlier tunnel suffered several collapses after crews worked 58 hours on it, prompting a second dig from another point. Rescuers kept in contact with him and supplied fluids throughout, Bukele said.

Bukele said doctors were evaluating Gil Flores for transfer to a hospital. Chile’s firefighters said he was in good condition and had already been moved to a care center.

This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.