Soccer star from Argentina suffers family tragedy as spouse and two kids perish in Venezuelan quake

Tragedy has struck Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo, as his wife and two children lost their lives in the devastating twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela, according to his team's statement on Sunday.

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Following a three-day search, rescue workers recovered the bodies of Trejo's wife Yanina and their children Aaron and Ainhoa from the rubble, as reported by US media outlets.

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Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira, Trejo's team, expressed their deep condolences for the loss of his family members in an Instagram post, which included a photo of the family together.

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Trejo, 38, was attending a team training camp in Caracas when the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck on Wednesday evening, as reported by CNN.

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Upon returning to his home in La Guaira, the state most affected by the disaster, Trejo was met with a horrific scene, according to his brother-in-law Ricardo Ardiles, who spoke to CNN.

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Ardiles described the devastating scene, saying that Trejo found nothing of what the building had been, highlighting the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquakes.

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Venezuelan authorities reported that nearly 1,500 people have lost their lives, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for, as of Sunday.

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In a social media post on Sunday, Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira offered their condolences to Trejo, stating that they "deeply mourn the irreparable loss" of his family and sharing a photo of the family together.

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The team's message to Trejo was one of support, saying "Lucas, you are not alone, your family at Maritime La Guaira is with you".

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The rare "doublet" earthquake, which saw two major earthquakes strike just 39 seconds apart, has had a significant impact on the soccer community in Venezuela, according to the US Geological Survey.

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Among the victims of the disaster was 18-year-old Yimvert Berroteran, a promising young soccer player who had recently played in the U-17 World Cup in Doha and for the U-20 national team, as announced by the Venezuelan national team and the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) on Friday.

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Other young soccer players, including Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa, also lost their lives in the earthquake, as reported by the FVF and their respective clubs.

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The partner of soccer player Héctor Bello was among the victims, and Bello took to social media on Saturday to express his grief, saying he would ensure their toddler remembers her mother's love.

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In a heartfelt post, Bello wrote "I'll make sure to remind our baby girl how wonderful you were and how much you loved her".

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The earthquake has also claimed the lives of tourists and foreign residents, including eight Chinese nationals, as reported by Chinese state media on Sunday.