The twin earthquakes that rattled Venezuela last Wednesday have claimed at least 1,450 lives, and as rescue workers sift through the rubble, the tragedy has taken a particularly cruel turn for the families of two professional footballers.

Lucas Trejo, an Argentinian player for Club Sport Marítimo of La Guaira, spent three days digging through what was left of his coastal city home before rescue workers recovered the bodies of his wife, Yanina, and their two children, Aaron and Ainhoa. Trejo was in Caracas training with his team when the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck, and returned to find "absolutely nothing" of his home, according to his brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles.

Fellow Marítimo player Héctor Bello lost his wife, Andrea, who died shielding their infant daughter, Alana, when their home collapsed. The child was later found by rescuers and is in stable condition alongside her aunt, local media reported. "You gave your own life for our daughter … you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you took your last breaths," Bello wrote in an Instagram post, presumably while not on the pitch.

The disaster also claimed the lives of youth players Victor Palacios of Club Sport San Augustín's academy and Razan Sijaa of Caracas Fútbol Club, who died with his family at their La Guaira home, according to Venezuelan football officials.

The 72-hour window for finding survivors passed on Saturday, said Sebastian Eugster, leader of the Swiss rescue team, while the US Geological Survey grimly predicts deaths could reach 10,000. The earthquake was the most powerful to hit Venezuela since 1900 - a record no one was hoping to break.