This is the emotional moment Spanish firefighters rescued a woman from the rubble of an earthquake-hit building in Venezuela.

The victim had spent 72 hours trapped under debris in the Vistamar residential area in La Guaira.

The Ministry of Defence said: ‘This is the joy of the UME staff after rescuing a woman alive who had been trapped under the rubble for 72 hours in the Vistamar residential area of La Guaira.

‘Hope despite the passage of time and the difficulties in locating survivors and accessing them.’

Dozens of buildings were brought down by the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24 – with the death toll now well over 1,000.

Footage shared by Spain’s Ministry of Defence shows rescuers celebrating as the survivor is carefully lifted onto a stretcher and carried to safety.

The operation comes as Spanish emergency teams continue working alongside local authorities in the race to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The rescue is particularly significant as survival rates typically decline sharply after the first 72 hours following a major earthquake, making every successful operation increasingly difficult.

Spain has deployed dozens of specialist rescue personnel, including members of the UME and search-and-rescue experts from across the country, to assist Venezuelan authorities following the disaster.

Earlier this week, the Malaga Provincial Fire Consortium also announced it had mobilised a specialist search-and-rescue team, complete with rescue dogs and technical equipment.

The earthquakes have caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, with emergency crews continuing to search affected areas for anyone still trapped beneath the rubble.