Viloria, Who Sleeps in a Tent Near the Site, Authorized the Sawing of Her Mother's Decomposing Body to Free It From Concrete

In La Guaira, Venezuela, Glenda Viloria has recovered the bodies of six family members, including her mother and sister, from the collapse of the OPPE 27 housing complex, but she still searches for her three-year-old nephew, Mateo. The twin earthquakes on June 24 destroyed nearly 190 buildings, and on July 30, authorities demolished the first unstable tower in Catia La Mar, with more planned. Viloria, who sleeps in a tent near the site, authorized the sawing of her mother's decomposing body to free it from concrete.

Froylan Gerardo Robles of Search and Rescue Mexico noted the disaster zone has quieted as survivors moved to shelters and aid slowed. The government reports at least 6,125 dead, though the toll is likely higher, with thousands missing. Rescue teams work through the night, carefully lifting concrete slabs by hand to recover bodies, as demolition is sometimes the only way to reach inaccessible areas.

I promised I was not going to rest until I found her son, Mateo, she said. Until last year, Viloria had also lived in OPPE 27, and she loved Mateo as if he were her own child. Even after moving away, she returned regularly to take care of him.