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Atop a large and unstable mountain of concrete, steel and dust, dozens of people sift through the rubble in hopes of finding survivors or bodies.
Suddenly everything stops. There are screams, people run, hugging each other. A hunter thinks he hears a sound under the rubble.
“Thank you, God,” a woman sobs. “Really?” Another asks, unbelievable.
The hopeful news spread quickly around the homes of Mariola and Maribel, near La Guaira beach – where people were enjoying the sun before Wednesday’s earthquake.
Only one of the two towers in the compound is still standing, although it leans and looks like it could topple at any moment. The other seems to have been swallowed up by the earth.
Many hunters run into the road and signal for engines to shut down, cranes to stop and silence. The screams gradually faded and the hunters crawled out of the rubble and fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
“Listen, please; don’t scream! It looks like someone’s here,” someone calls out from above. The message – “Shhhh… shut up, please” – was repeated in a chain.
People hold their breath, it’s one of the few ways they can help. There is hope that a survivor can be saved. As recently as Saturday, 33 people were found alive, but hope dwindled by the hour.
“Please say something so we can hear you,” he cries desperately to an unknown receiver hiding under a pile of concrete. “We’re a rescue team!”
It was these words that broke the almost sacred silence. For 10 minutes, time seems to stand still.
No sound comes from the wreckage and the experts declare a false alarm. Faces change dramatically.
Neighbors alerted emergency teams nearby. You arrive within minutes, but leave again just as quickly.
