Most rescues happen in the 24 hours after a disaster. The chances of survival drop with each day after that, experts say. Most victims are badly injured or buried by falling stones or other debris.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n U.S. firefighters from the Fairfax County pull a survivor from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Matias Delacroix)<\/p>\n U.S. firefighters from the Fairfax County pull a survivor from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Matias Delacroix)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n What factors affect earthquake survival?<\/p>\n Trapped victims are more likely to survive if they are in a debris-free pocket that prevents major injury while they await rescue, like under a sturdy desk, said geophysicist Victor Tsai from Brown University. Experts call this a survivable void space.<\/p>\n If fire, smoke or hazardous chemicals were released as a result of the building collapse, they may decrease a person\u2019s survival odds, said emergency response expert Dr. Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University.<\/p>\n Beyond that, having air to breathe and water to drink are crucial as the days go on.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could survive a while without food,\u201d Barbera said. \u201cYou could survive less without water.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Buildings are collapsed and damaged along the coast in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026, following earthquakes. (Miguel Medina, Pool photo via AP)<\/p>\n Buildings are collapsed and damaged along the coast in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026, following earthquakes. (Miguel Medina, Pool photo via AP)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Temperatures where someone is trapped may affect survival, and temperatures outside the rubble can affect rescue missions. <\/p>\n More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world arrived in Venezuela with trained search dogs and machinery, the government said. And rescue efforts in La Guaira, the hardest-hit area, appeared significantly more organized on Sunday, after residents expressed frustration and anger about the level of response in the days before.<\/p>\n It can be important for survivors to receive vital medical care before they are removed from the rubble, Barbera said. If not, the buildup of toxins from crushed muscles could make them go into shock after they are rescued.<\/p>\n After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami<\/a> in Japan, a teenager and his 80-year-old grandmother were found alive after nine days trapped in their flattened home. And the year before, a 16-year-old Haitian girl was rescued from earthquake rubble in Port-au-Prince<\/a> after 15 days.<\/p>\n![\"U.S.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782863987_935_.jpeg\")
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