The wife and two children of Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo have been found dead after disappearing following the earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week.

Axar.az reports, citing Trejo’s club, La Nacion, that the deaths of Yanina Maranella and their children, Aaron and Ainhoa Trejo, were confirmed by Venezuelan football players who had joined rescue efforts.

The family had been missing since a building collapsed in the Playa Grande area of La Guaira during the earthquakes. Trejo had earlier appealed for help on social media, writing: "I don't know anything about my family. Pray for them. I want to believe they were not there."

Edson Tortolero, one of the players involved in the search, announced the discovery on social media and thanked relatives, rescuers, footballers and volunteers who assisted in the operation.

Deportivo La Guaira expressed condolences to Trejo and his relatives, offering support following the tragedy. Trejo, 38, is a Cordoba-born defender who plays for Maritimo de La Guaira.