Argentinian footballer Lucas Trejo is grieving an unimaginable loss after his wife and two children were found dead following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela.
The twin quakes, which hit the country on June 24, have left at least 1,430 people dead, with thousands injured and many more still unaccounted for as rescue teams continue working through collapsed buildings and unstable rubble.
Across hospitals and emergency centers, photographs of missing relatives have been posted as anxious families wait for news and volunteers search through damaged neighborhoods.
Trejo had been desperately hoping for updates after his wife, Yanina Maranella, and their children, Aaron and Ainhoa Trejo, were reported missing when their apartment building in Playa Grande collapsed during the quakes.
“Our building in Playa Grande collapsed. I don’t know anything about my family. Please pray for them and share this message in case someone saw them. I want to believe they weren’t there. Please pray for my family.”
It has since been confirmed that all three family members died in the earthquake, bringing a tragic end to the multi-day search.
Trejo, who is Argentinian, plays in Venezuela for Deportivo La Guaira. At the time of the disaster, he had been in Caracas preparing for a match.
“Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira deeply mourns the loss suffered by Lucas Trejo’s family; we ask for respect for his relatives and teammates. After a 74-hour search, they were found deceased.”
Trejo’s friend Edson Tortolero also shared the news online in a translated statement.
“We inform all the people of Venezuela and Argentina that the bodies of Lucas Trejo’s family members have been found lifeless.
“We thank everyone for the support and ask for the most sincere respect for his family at this time. WE PRAY FOR ETERNAL LIFE FOR THEM.”
Playa Grande, a coastal area in Venezuela’s La Guaira state, was among the places most severely affected by the earthquakes.
Large-scale rescue operations are continuing across the country as officials assess the damage, with the death toll now far higher than initial estimates.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first earthquake measured 7.2 magnitude and struck west of Caracas, followed seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude quake.
Authorities have reported thousands of injuries, and emergency services remain stretched as hospitals treat the wounded and search teams continue looking for survivors and the missing.
International aid has also begun arriving, with rescue personnel, medical teams and canine units working alongside local responders to locate people trapped beneath collapsed structures.
Experts have warned that the full scale of the disaster may not be known for some time, as assessments continue in hard-hit areas and aftershocks add to fears of further damage.