Who was Andrea Bello? Héctor Bello's wife died shielding baby in earthquake

Andrea Bello’s final act saved her one-year-old daughter but cost her own life. The wife of Venezuelan soccer player Héctor Bello died when powerful back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24, causing their home to collapse. Their daughter, Alana, survived because Andrea shielded her during the disaster. Héctor later shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, calling his wife a hero and promising their daughter would always know the sacrifice her mother made. According to PEOPLE, the tragedy happened during Venezuela’s deadliest earthquake disaster in more than a century.Héctor Bello calls wife Andrea Bello a hero after she saved their daughter during Venezuela earthquakeHéctor Bello, who plays for Marítimo de La Guaira, shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram two days after the earthquakes.He wrote, “You’ll always be our favorite hero, Mommy. I’m going to make sure our baby remembers how wonderful you were, how much you loved her. I’ll tell her the story of how you saved her, how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who, even with your last breaths, never abandoned her.”The Venezuelan soccer media group Cumaná de Campeones later confirmed that Andrea was found dead beneath the rubble of the family’s collapsed building. The organization also said baby Alana survived the collapse.In another emotional post, Héctor spoke directly to his daughter. He wrote, “My daughter… I need you to be strong. Just wait a little longer. I need you to be the one to heal my heart, which is in pieces.”He added, “Now it’s just you and me and your mommy watching over us from heaven. I know Andrea will give me strength… Through all this suffering, I know that if she had a minute to say something to me, she would tell me to protect you with my life like she did.”Venezuela earthquakes leave hundreds dead as rescue teams continue searching for survivorsThe tragedy happened after Venezuela was struck by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude within moments of each other. The U.S. Geological Survey described the event as a severe seismic doublet and one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in more than 100 years.Rescue work is still underway across the hardest-hit areas. According to the BBC, the official death toll has risen to at least 920, while more than 3,300 people have been injured. Tens of thousands of people have also been reported missing as emergency crews and international rescue teams continue searching through collapsed buildings. Families across Venezuela are still waiting for news about their loved ones as recovery efforts continue. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.