English Footballer Shares Harrowing Experience of Surviving a Deadly Earthquake Before a Match

ENGLISH footballer David Olaoye has revealed the terrifying moment he found himself in the middle of the devastating Venezuelan earthquake while preparing for a MATCH.

Olaoye, 29, from east London, was about to play for his team Deportivo Miranda in Caracas when the devastating earthquake struck.

David Olaoye found himself in the middle of the devastating Venezuelan earthquake The footballer revealed he was preparing for a match when the earthquake struck

after 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude quakes toppled dozens of buildings.

Olaoye was due to face Club Sport Maritimo de La Guaira, a team from the area hit the worst, and some of the players headed straight to the as friends and relatives were buried beneath the rubble.

Olaoye, along with his twin brother Daniel, began at non-league sides Newham, Ware Town and Barking.

But after a stint in Sicily, he moved to central America four months ago and was preparing for a Copa Venezuela match last Wednesday.

Speaking to Sunsport from Caracas, he said: “We had a cup game at 7pm and we were in the dressing rooms, about 6.15pm. I had my headphones on and it felt like I was pushing against the wall. It felt strange but I thought it was me. Then I realised everyone was running outside as the changing rooms were underneath the stands.

“I got out onto the pitch and the floodlights were shaking. It was frightening. I looked at the stands and saw the media staff trying to get out of the stands but they were having to go down a spiral staircase.

“Other light rigs under the main ones were destroyed. After the first quake there was another one. There was a puddle on the pitch and it was getting smaller as the pitch was shaking. I thought if the stands crashed down, everything was going to turn into a real disaster.

“The match was obviously called off. I left for home in my kit and we were not allowed to retrieve our belongings. It was only when I got home and I saw videos of what happened did I realise the full scale of everything.

Venezuela was rocked by two devastating earthquakes last week Credit: Getty A huge search and rescue operation is now underway Credit: Getty

“Just 10 minutes from my home in Caracas, buildings were crashing down. Where I live, where the buildings are not so tall, there were no issues.

“As soon as I got my phone back, I rang my family. They were obviously worried. An hour later and then at 3am, my room started shaking again.

“La Guaira, where the other team is from, is completely destroyed. Some of the players don’t have homes any more and they have been looking for their families.”

Olaoye’s team is not training at the moment and he has been trying to help out with aid.

He said: “I have been buying food, clothes and sending money over every day. We are all trying to help.”

For Olaoye, this is the latest tale in an incredible odyssey.

He said: “I have played in Greece, Slovenia, Argentina, Norway, Czech Republic, Albania, Italy and now Venezuela. My old coach in is good friends with a coach here and he wanted me to come for this project. It is a good opportunity to try and get the team promoted. I wanted to come back to his part of the world after my spell in Argentina.

“My twin Daniel has also played in lots of countries and he is joining Hiroshima in Japan this week. My younger brother Jonathan, who is 27, is in Australia. Mum says she is going to come out and go round the world to see all of us.”