Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ecuador earthquake survivor rescued from rubble two weeks after disaster

72-year-old Manuel Vasquez taken to hospital suffering from dehydration and kidney failure

Elsa Vulliamy
Sunday 01 May 2016 05:47 EDT
Comments
A visiting Venezuelan task force rescued the man after 13 days under the rubble
A visiting Venezuelan task force rescued the man after 13 days under the rubble (Embassy of Venezuela in Ecuador)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 72-year-old man has been rescued after being trapped under rubble for almost two weeks following a devastating earthquake that hit Ecuador.

A Venezuelan task force rescued Mr Manuel Vasquez from under the wreckage on after hearing noises coming from a partially collapsed building, according to the Venezuelan embassy.

Mr Vasquez had been trapped for 13 days, following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake said to be the worst in Ecuador’s history.

Dehydrated and disorientated, Mr Vasquez was taken to a hospital in Jaramijó. He had also lost several toes, and was suffering from kidney failure and urinary tract obstruction.

At least 650 deaths have been reported following the earthquake, which hit Ecuador’s coast on April 16, causing widespread damage across several towns.

A second earthquake hit Ecuador one week later, causing further devastation.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa urged the country to “have strength” during the difficult time.

The president also announced value added tax would rise from 12 per cent to 14 per cent in the coming year to help pay for the damage, and that millionaires in the country would be hit with an additional one-off tax amounting to 0.9 per cent of their wealth.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in