The Government of Venezuela raises to 235 dead and 4,300 injured the confirmed victims of the double earthquake, of 7.2 and 7.5, that shook the Latin American country. The two tremors that hit the area in less than a minute collapsed many buildings in the capital, Caracas, and also affected other states.
In the images arriving from the Latin American country, Venezuelans search among the rubble for their relatives.
During the early hours of this morning, the Spanish Ministry of Defense has sent 59 members of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) and eight canine units to support the search and rescue efforts for people affected by the double earthquake that hit Venezuela.
Specifically, the personnel have been transported on an Air Force A330 aircraft and will be able to offer experience from having worked in similar scenarios. Personnel from the 45th Wing of the Air Force's Torrejón Air Base have also been transferred to the Caribbean country.
The most affected towns are the country's capital, Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Laguaira, Aragua, Carabobo, and Falcón. The most affected area has been the coastal state of La Guaira, in the north of the country and near Caracas.
Defense has reported that the UME's canine units are key elements for the deployment in the Latin American country. The handler-dog teams are "highly specialized in the search, location, and rescue of people".
The Spanish personnel are not the only ones who will participate in the aid teams sent to Venezuela. The Government of France has also deployed a military detachment specialized in rescue in collapsed environments. Some of the personnel sent by the French country, composed of medical and canine teams, already participated in the location and rescue of victims of the earthquake that shook Turkey in 2023.
Rescuers from several American countries such as the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Mexico have already arrived in the Latin American country, as announced by President Delcy Rodríguez.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has also offered to mobilize resources and his agencies to support the country in this emergency situation.
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