Argentinian footballer Lucas Trejo’s world shattered: Wife, two kids among earthquake victims in Venezuela

According to reports, their bodies were recovered during a rescue operation in the disaster-hit country.

Trejo, 38, had been desperately searching for his wife, Yanina Maranella, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa, after the apartment building they were staying in at Playa Grande collapsed during the twin earthquakes that hit on Wednesday, Gulf News reported.

The footballer, who was in Caracas preparing for a league match with his club, Deportivo La Guaira, had earlier appealed for help in locating his missing family members.

The club confirmed the tragedy in a post on X, stating: “From DLG we join the grief that overwhelms player Lucas Trejo, over the sensitive passing of his wife, Yanina Maranella, and his children, Aarón and Ainhoa Trejo.”

More than 2,000 rescue workers from 27 countries have been deployed to Venezuela to search for survivors trapped under the rubble, in an international operation coordinated with support from the United Nations.

The death toll continues to rise, while preliminary assessments estimate the direct physical damage at around $6.7 billion.

At the request of the Venezuelan government, 44 international Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams—comprising 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs—have been deployed to locate survivors and provide emergency medical assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

OCHA has activated emergency response mechanisms and is coordinating the arrival and deployment of international teams on the ground.

Rescue personnel have been sent from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, as well as Germany, Czechia, Spain, the United States, France, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Syria, Switzerland, and Türkiye.

As of June 27, authorities confirmed at least 1,430 deaths and 3,238 injuries following the powerful twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24.

While rescue efforts continue, a preliminary satellite analysis by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates total direct physical damage at around $6.7 billion, roughly six per cent of the country’s GDP. The estimate, generated using the Rapid Digital Analysis (RAPIDA) tool, places total losses between $4.7 billion and $8.7 billion.

The assessment includes damage to homes and economic assets, but does not account for infrastructure losses, disruption to economic activity, or long-term reconstruction needs.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, were felt across northern Venezuela, including Caracas and the states of La Guaira, Carabobo, Miranda, Yaracuy, and Aragua.

According to UNDP, around 8.6 million people were exposed to moderate to severe shaking, including about 2.1 million who experienced the strongest tremors. The report also estimates that 1.7 million structures were located within the affected zones.