Rescue crews worked tirelessly into the night on Wednesday to free a 43-year-old Venezuelan man who had been trapped under the rubble of a seven-story building for a week, an AFP journalist observed. Hernan Gil, a security guard, was stuck inside his booth beneath the collapsed structure in Catia La Mar, an area nearly destroyed in the twin earthquakes on June 24, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes.
Teams from seven nations—Venezuela, Chile, the U.S., Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico—have been operating nonstop over the past three days to reach him. By late Wednesday, they had come within about a meter of his location, according to rescuers. Chile’s fire department shared a video on Instagram showing Gil inside his shelter, turning his head to look at the camera. He was wearing a face mask, and his right eye appeared bloodshot.
Gil’s wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, described the rescue as a miracle. “I’m completely stunned because I’ve never seen so many countries come together to save just one person,” she said. The news of the ongoing rescue effort came after a day in which hopes of finding more survivors had diminished, now seven days after the devastating earthquakes, which resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths and left thousands more missing.
While rescuers approached Gil, others kept watch over an adjacent building that was at risk of collapsing further. Since Monday, teams had been reinforcing the building’s foundation with wood and iron to prevent a total structural collapse. As part of the operation, they provided Gil with water to stay hydrated and installed a tube to supply him with air. The rescue teams advanced along two separate paths to reach him.
Cristian Vera, head of the Chilean rescue squad, explained that accessing the site was complex. “This is a very difficult structure to get into,” he said, noting that the presence of large pillars hindered efforts to pinpoint his exact location. An initial plan to create a 24-inch tunnel was abandoned on Tuesday after the building shifted slightly. “We had to develop a new approach to enter through a different route than the one we used last night,” Vera added.
A laborer walks near a destroyed structure after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit General Santos in southern Philippines on June 8, 2026. — Reuters
– A young mother delivered her baby outside the hospital.
– Damage to roads and bridges has isolated several communities.
– Tsunami warnings were lifted after the threat subsided.
Doctors treated patients in tents under the intense Philippine sun on Tuesday, including assisting a young mother with childbirth. The death toll from the powerful earthquake, which caused building collapses and triggered tsunami alerts, surpassed 40.
Thousands remain displaced, and over 450 people are injured following the magnitude-7.8 quake that struck off Mindanao on Monday. Based on reports from national and local disaster agencies, only four individuals are now missing.
In Sarangani Province, one of the hardest-hit areas, some regions are only accessible via helicopter. Rescue efforts are slowed by ongoing aftershocks, according to local officials briefing reporters Tuesday.
“There are still aftershocks, so rescue teams are proceeding with caution. That’s a challenge,” said Rodrigo Sosmena, regional civil defense chief.
Multiple strong aftershocks rattled the region within hours of the initial quake, along with hundreds of smaller tremors.
Structural damage means some communities will be cut off for at least a week due to destroyed roads and a collapsed bridge.
At a hospital near General Santos— the largest city in the region— AFP journalists heard a woman cry out “push” followed by the newborn’s cries outdoors, behind a makeshift screen, as she delivered her baby.
In Glan municipality, where at least 13 residents were buried inside landslide-affected homes, staff at another hospital reported more than 60 patients were placed on beds outside the facility because of safety concerns about the building’s stability.
“The hospital sustained extensive damage,” said a hospital staff member. “The municipal engineer decided it’s unsafe to keep using the building.”
By Tuesday morning, provincial sources reported the death toll had reached 41.
Rescue teams resumed efforts outside a collapsed grocery store in General Santos after an overnight pause, attempting to recover two workers trapped inside when the building fell.
AFP cameras watched as search dogs and handlers combed through heaps of broken concrete and jagged metal.
A rescue official indicated the focus had shifted from rescue to recovery, though this had not been officially confirmed.
At a nearby beach resort, a Coast Guard vessel searched for two missing swimmers caught in turbulent waters caused by the quake.
Social media videos verified by AFP showed the collapse of a shopping mall housing a Jollibee restaurant and the destruction of an unoccupied school building in General Santos.
Another video depicted school children screaming as they were held by teachers during the tremor, with a background shot of a collapsing metal structure. The school’s official Facebook page stated no one was underneath the structure when it fell.
Thousands of people in coastal areas of the southern Philippines and neighboring Indonesia were ordered to evacuate, as multiple countries and the regional tsunami center issued warnings. However, by midday, the threat had passed, and alerts were canceled.
Waves that did reach Japan’s Pacific coast, where a tsunami advisory was issued, measured no more than 8 inches (about 20 centimeters).
In October, eastern Mindanao experienced two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.4 and 6.7, which caused at least eight deaths.
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First responders assess the rising floodwaters of the Guadalupe River following flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on July 4, 2025. — Reuters
Death toll is anticipated to rise.
11 girls and a counselor still missing from summer camp.
Total number of missing individuals remains unclear.
The toll from devastating floods in Texas has climbed to at least 67 as of Sunday, with 21 of those confirmed to be children. The search for girls missing from a summer camp is now in its third day.
Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in the Texas Hill Country, confirmed that Kerr County alone has recorded 59 fatalities, including the 21 children.
According to Leitha, 11 girls and a counselor are still unaccounted for at a nearby summer camp along the Guadalupe River, which overflowed after heavy rain struck central Texas on July 4, coinciding with Independence Day.
A Travis County official reported that four lives were lost to the flooding there, with 13 individuals still unaccounted for. Additionally, one death occurred in Kendall County, while the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office reported two fatalities. In Tom Green County, police discovered a woman dead inside her submerged vehicle in San Angelo.
Leitha mentioned that there are also 18 adults and four children pending identification in Kerr County, but it’s not clear if these individuals are part of the 59 confirmed deaths.
Officials indicated that more than 850 people have been rescued, including some who were hanging onto trees, after a sudden storm unleashed up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain in the region, which is located about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio. The total number of missing persons in the area remains uncertain.
“Everyone in the community is feeling the pain,” stated Leitha during a press conference.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was activated on Sunday, deploying resources to support first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in the area, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
A vehicle navigates through a flooded road in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025. — Reuters
Helicopters and planes from the United States Coast Guard are assisting in search and rescue operations, as reported by DHS.
Some experts have raised concerns about whether cuts made to federal agencies under the Trump administration, including reductions at the agency responsible for the National Weather Service, impacted the accuracy of flood predictions and warnings prior to the storm.
Former NOAA Director Rick Spinrad noted that the Trump administration’s job cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had left many weather offices understaffed. He expressed uncertainty about the impact of these cuts on the flood warnings but acknowledged they can affect the agency’s ability to provide timely and accurate forecasts.
Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, pointed out that a “moderate” flood watch issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday did not accurately forecast the heavy rainfall, but added that the Trump administration is working to improve the alert system.
The White House has not responded to requests for comments on these issues.
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro mentioned on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ that reduced personnel at the weather service could lead to dangerous situations. “Flash flooding poses a serious risk, and without enough personnel to conduct proper analysis and predictions, it can end in tragedy,” he warned.
More Rain on the Way
Additional rain is anticipated in the area on Sunday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for Kerr County until 1 PM local time.
The disaster escalated quickly on Friday morning as rainfall exceeded predictions, causing river levels to swell to as high as 29 feet (9 meters).
Texas Governor Greg Abbott requested a disaster declaration from Trump to access federal assistance for those impacted by the floods. Noem confirmed that Trump would fulfill this request.
Trump has previously indicated plans to reduce the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters, thereby increasing state-level responsibilities.
The 11 missing girls along with their counselor attended Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old Christian camp for girls, which had 700 campers present at the time of the flood.
In the aftermath, the camp was left in ruins. Inside one cabin, mud marks showed that floodwaters had risen at least six feet (1.83 m) from the ground. Bed frames, mattresses, and personal belongings were littered with mud. Some buildings suffered broken windows, while one cabin had a wall completely missing.
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A man carries his belongings through a flooded street after heavy rains in Ahmedabad, India. — AFP/File
Areas most affected experienced 34 inches of rain in just 24 hours.
Fatalities have resulted from storms, lightning strikes, and structural collapses.
Emergency response teams are on-site as residents prepare for additional heavy rainfall.
AHMEDABAD: According to state officials, at least 18 individuals have lost their lives since Monday due to severe rainfall affecting parts of Gujarat in western India.
Emergency teams have been dispatched to assist residents in southern areas, who are expecting ongoing heavy rains from the monsoon.
“In total, 18 lives have been claimed by rain-related incidents, with numerous individuals rescued from low-lying regions by our response teams,” stated the state government late Tuesday.
The hardest-hit locations included the towns of Palitana and Jesar, where a staggering 867 millimeters (34 inches) of rain fell within a single day.
State relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey reported that the deaths were attributed to storms, lightning, and collapses of buildings due to severe weather conditions.
“The state is fully prepared to manage the situation, and we are enhancing coordination among departments to ensure quick relief and rescue operations,” Pandey added.
Among those rescued were 18 agricultural workers trapped in mango orchards in the Gadhada region, as well as 22 individuals in Surendranagar district whose homes were inundated by an overflowing river.
India’s monsoon season, running from June to September, brings relief from the sweltering summer heat and is essential for replenishing water resources.
However, flash floods and landslides during this period claim numerous lives each year in the country, which has a population of 1.4 billion.
Rescue teams at the scene where a building collapsed following a severe earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 29, 2025. — Reuters
Teams from India, China, Singapore, and Thailand are on the ground.
The opposition pledges to pause military offensives for two weeks.
Local residents report a lack of government aid and inadequate equipment for rescue operations.
In response to the devastation from a massive earthquake that struck Myanmar, neighboring countries have deployed warships and aircraft filled with relief supplies and rescue teams. The international aid response has been ramping up following the disaster that severely impacted this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
According to the military government, the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest in the last century, resulted in at least 1,600 fatalities and left 3,400 individuals injured.
“All military and civilian hospitals must coordinate efficiently to ensure a prompt medical response,” stated Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chief of the junta, as reported by Myanmar media.
The United States Geological Survey projected that the death toll in Myanmar could exceed 10,000, with damages potentially surpassing the nation’s annual GDP.
The tremors were felt in parts of Thailand as well, leading to the collapse of a skyscraper under construction and claiming 17 lives in the capital. Reports indicated that at least 78 individuals remained trapped beneath the rubble.
Classified as the deadliest natural calamity in Myanmar in years, the earthquake inflicted significant damage to vital infrastructure, including an airport, highways, and bridges, thereby hampering humanitarian efforts according to the United Nations.
‘No aid, no rescue workers’
The earthquake struck amid an ongoing civil war, which has intensified since the military coup in 2021 that removed the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and ignited a nationwide armed insurrection.
Ongoing hostilities have devastated Myanmar’s agriculture-based economy, displaced over 3.5 million citizens, and severely damaged essential services such as healthcare.
The National Unity Government (NUG), which consists of remnants from the previous administration, has declared that anti-junta militias will suspend all military offensives for two weeks starting Sunday.
In a statement, the NUG announced, “We, along with resistance forces, allied organizations, and civil society groups, will undertake rescue operations.”
In some of the most severely impacted areas, locals shared with Reuters that government assistance was nearly nonexistent, forcing many to manage on their own.
Han Zin, a resident from Sagaing, near the earthquake’s epicenter, described the scene: “What we’re witnessing is widespread devastation—numerous buildings have crumbled to the ground. Since the disaster, much of our town has been without electricity, and drinking water is dwindling.” He lamented, “We have not seen any relief, and there are no rescue teams in sight.”
In Mandalay, nearby the Irrawaddy River, a rescue worker reported that most operations in Myanmar’s second-largest city were being undertaken by small, self-organized local groups that lacked the necessary tools.
“We have reached collapsed structures, but some remain unstable as we work,” he said, requesting anonymity due to security matters.
Field hospital
Rescue teams feared that many individuals might still be trapped under the rubble throughout Mandalay, but most could not be rescued due to a lack of heavy machinery, as noted by another humanitarian worker and two residents.
A resident, wishing to remain unnamed, stated, “People are still stuck inside the buildings; we can’t get them out.” Hospitals in various regions, including Mandalay and Sagaing, were overwhelmed with casualties, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Countries such as India, China, and Thailand have dispatched relief supplies and teams, along with aid from Malaysia, Singapore, and Russia.
On Saturday, Indian military aircraft conducted multiple flights into Myanmar, delivering supplies and search-and-rescue personnel to Naypyitaw, the designated capital, which suffered extensive damage due to the earthquake.
The Indian army plans to establish a field hospital in Mandalay, and two navy ships carrying aid have set sail for Yangon, the commercial hub of Myanmar, as stated by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Teams of Chinese rescue workers, including a contingent traveling from Yunnan province, have arrived, as announced by China’s embassy in Myanmar on social media.
A 78-member team from Singapore, accompanied by search and rescue dogs, has started operations in Mandalay, according to local media.
