Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo has lost his wife and two children after they were killed in the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week.
According to AFP, Trejo’s wife, Yanina, and their children, Aaron and Ainhoa, were found dead after rescue workers spent three days searching through the rubble of their collapsed home in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the disaster.
Trejo, who plays for Venezuelan second-division side Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, was attending a team training camp in Caracas when the twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck on Wednesday.
His club paid tribute to the family in a message shared on Instagram.
“Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira deeply mourns the irreparable loss of our player’s wife and children,” the club said.
The club also expressed support for the grieving footballer, adding:
“Lucas, you are not alone. Your family at Marítimo La Guaira is with you.”
Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, told CNN that the footballer returned home immediately after the disaster only to find his apartment building completely destroyed.
The earthquakes have claimed nearly 1,500 lives, while tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for, according to Venezuelan authorities.
The tragedy has also affected the country’s football community. Promising 18-year-old footballer Yimvert Berroteran was among those killed, while young players Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa also lost their lives.
In a separate tragedy, the partner of footballer Héctor Bello died while shielding their young daughter during the disaster.
The earthquakes, described by the US Geological Survey as a rare “doublet” because the two major tremors occurred just 39 seconds apart, also claimed the lives of several foreign nationals, including eight Chinese citizens.
