Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo has lost his wife and two children in last week's devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, one of the deadliest disasters to hit the country in more than a century, reports CNN.
Trejo, who plays for Venezuelan second-division club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, spent three days searching through the rubble for his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa, after their beachfront home in La Guaira collapsed.
His brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, said the footballer was "emotionally overwhelmed" after finding "absolutely nothing" left of the family home.
Trejo, 38, was attending a training camp in Caracas when two powerful earthquakes struck just 39 seconds apart. He immediately travelled to La Guaira, one of the worst-affected areas, and joined rescue efforts alongside friends and teammates, who appealed for heavy machinery to aid the search.
On Sunday, Sport Marítimo La Guaira confirmed the deaths of Trejo's family in a social media statement.
"We deeply mourn the irreparable loss of Lucas Trejo's family," the club said. "Lucas, you are not alone. Your Marítimo La Guaira family is with you."
The disaster has claimed more than 1,400 lives, with thousands still missing, according to Venezuelan authorities.
The earthquakes also killed several footballers, including 18-year-old Venezuela youth international Yimvert Berroteran, as well as young players Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa.
Rescue operations continue, although hopes of finding more survivors are fading as the search has now passed the critical 72-hour window, when survival chances without water decline sharply.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
