A mother died protecting her infant daughter when a residential building collapsed during the twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on the night of 24 June, according to statements by her husband, the Venezuelan footballer Héctor “Kike” Bello. Andrea, whose surname has not been released, was at home in the coastal state of La Guaira with the couple’s one-year-old daughter, Alana, when the structure gave way. Bello, a defender for second-division side Marítimo de La Guaira, was away with his team at the time and later confirmed the death on his Instagram account.

Rescue teams recovered the child alive from the rubble, local media reported, finding her beneath her mother’s body. Medical sources cited by the footballer indicate the girl was admitted to a hospital in La Guaira with minor injuries—a bandaged arm and bruising near an eye—and is in stable condition. Her aunt, who was also pulled from the debris, is with her. Bello posted that he was travelling to Caracas to be reunited with his daughter, who remained under observation but was expected to be discharged.

The earthquakes, measured by the US Geological Survey at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck within seconds of each other and are considered the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Casualty figures remain inconsistent: the Venezuelan government initially reported 589 dead and over 2,900 injured, while later tallies from authorities and volunteer networks cited between 235 and 920 fatalities, with tens of thousands listed as missing. La Guaira, a port city near the capital, suffered extensive destruction, and search operations were still under way as of Friday.

In a series of public messages, Bello described his wife’s final act as a deliberate effort to shield their daughter, writing that he would “tell her the story of how you saved her, how you gave your own life for our daughter.” He also appealed for practical assistance, asking for shelter and support once the child was released. The posts drew widespread attention across Spanish- and Portuguese-language media, but no official confirmation of the circumstances has been issued by emergency services.

The child’s survival has been verified by hospital sources and family photographs shared online. The father’s whereabouts were not immediately confirmed beyond his stated intention to reach Caracas. The overall death toll remains provisional as rescue teams continue to work through collapsed structures, and authorities caution that the number of victims is likely to rise.