Footballer Héctor Bello pays tribute to wife who died in Venezuela earthquakes

Soccer player Héctor Bello has said that his wife died while saving their daughter during the earthquakes that hit Venezuela.

Taking to Instagram, he said that"his precious love" Andrea saved the life of their toddler during two powerful quakes.

"I'll tell her the story of how you saved her, my love - how you gave your own life for our daughter, how you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths," Bello wrote in his post.

Bello said he travelled to Caracas where his daughter was in the hospital.

"My daughter and her aunt are doing well, they won't be discharged today - they're staying at the hospital. Thank you so much for supporting me through this immense pain," he posted on Friday overnight.

In a separate Instagram story, Bello wrote: "How do I explain to your daughter that you lost your life to save hers, and that I wasn't there to do anything? How do I explain it? Give me strength now."

A local Venezuelan footballer press and publicity organisation, Cumaná de Campeones, also posted about her death.

Meanwhile, Reuters news agency reported that a new earthquake struck ‌off the northern coast of Venezuela on Friday ⁠afternoon, days after twin quakes flattened buildings and killed nearly 1,000 ‌people.