Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo has suffered a devastating personal loss after his wife and two children were confirmed dead following last week's powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, the strongest to strike the country in more than a century.

Trejo, who plays for Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira in Venezuela's second division, spent several days searching through the rubble of his destroyed beachfront home in La Guaira, hoping to find his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa. His brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, said the footballer was emotionally devastated after discovering that nothing remained of the family home.

The 38-year-old was attending a training camp in Caracas when the twin earthquakes struck. He immediately traveled to La Guaira, where he joined rescue efforts and appealed for heavy machinery to help search the collapsed building. Fellow footballers, including Robert Garcés, also called for more equipment to support the rescue operation.

On Sunday, Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira confirmed the deaths of Trejo's wife and children, expressing its condolences in a heartfelt social media tribute and assuring the player that the club would stand by him during the tragedy.

The earthquakes have claimed more than 1,400 lives, with thousands still missing. The disaster has also deeply affected Venezuela's football community. Rising star Yimvert Berroteran, who recently represented Venezuela at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and played for the U-20 national team, was among those killed. Young footballers Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa also lost their lives.

In another heartbreaking incident, the partner of footballer Héctor Bello died while shielding their young daughter during the earthquake. Bello later paid tribute to her on social media, promising to ensure their child would always know how deeply she was loved.

The disaster has also claimed the lives of foreign nationals, including eight Chinese citizens, while Spain's foreign ministry reported that at least nine Spanish nationals have died and more than 100 remain missing.

With rescue efforts now extending beyond the critical first 72 hours, hopes of finding more survivors are fading, although emergency teams continue searching through the wreckage.