In a remarkable turn of events, a newborn baby boy has been delivered in the darkness beside a collapsed structure in Venezuela, serving as a beacon of hope for a nation grappling with the aftermath of Wednesday’s dual earthquakes.
A video captured the scene as Dr. María Fernanda Terán assisted in the birth, with the mother lying prone on the pavement in the coastal city of La Guairá, the area most devastated by the tremors in this South American country.
In the footage, Terán can be seen cradling the newborn, while a male passerby supports the upper part of her body. Shortly afterward, another individual steps forward to provide the mother with an additional blanket.
The mother, whose identity remains undisclosed, was pulled from a collapsed building before being moved to a safe location where she began to give birth. Reports from the scene confirm that both mother and child are in good health.
“Delivering a baby amidst the tremors in #laguairavenezuela has been the greatest challenge of my life,” Terán shared on her social media page.
Venezuelans celebrated the miraculous birth and showered Terán with praise.
“Amidst the darkness, there is light,” one person commented. “Here is living proof; that treasure arrived to be a light.”
“Because in the midst of misfortune, miracles still exist,” another onlooker said.
“That infant is a blessing and it is a blessing going through that storm,” another follower said. “So beautiful.”
“Girl, I’m so proud to be your colleague,” one of Terán’s co-workers added. “Go out there and do it for all of us doctors from Trujillo who want to be there but have to be here.”
Terán couldn’t be reached for comment.
The two powerful earthquakes rattled Venezuela’s northern coast, killing more than 900 people and injuring more than 3,000, according to data released by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez on Friday.
He said that close to 3,000 have lost their homes and that at least 1,400 building were damaged, including 13 hospital and 25 commercial facilities.
A 7.2-magnitude quake hit at 7:04 p.m. local time followed by a 7.5 magnitude just 39 seconds later, knocking down buildings in Caracas, the capital — and 15 other cities, leaving residents to scramble in search of their loved ones.