Guatemala made two specialized urban search and rescue teams (USAR-GUA 11) available to Venezuela, made up of 50 rescuers each and their respective canine pairs, to support the care efforts after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that devastated the South American country.
The Government reported that the teams were recently recertified under international standards and are ready to be mobilized when the Venezuelan authorities, through international coordination mechanisms for disaster response, define the time and place where assistance will be required.
In addition to search and rescue personnel, Guatemala offered the support of structural engineers specialized in the evaluation of damaged buildings and infrastructure. This support will be coordinated with the Guatemalan Association of Structural and Seismic Engineering as part of the technical cooperation that the country provides in international emergencies.
The Government of Guatemala expressed this Thursday its solidarity with the Venezuelan people through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which regretted the consequences of the tragedy and reiterated the country’s willingness to collaborate in humanitarian efforts.
The Foreign Ministry reported that, so far, it has no reports of Guatemalan citizens affected by the earthquakes and added that it keeps the consular assistance lines enabled to assist nationals who remain in Venezuela.
The earthquakes occurred last Wednesday and caused severe damage in several regions of the country, especially in the coastal state of La Guaira, where buildings, hospitals and businesses collapsed.
According to the most recent official report released by the president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, the disaster leaves 920 dead, 3,360 injured, 172 people trapped and 3,07 affected.
The authorities also report severe damage to 383 buildings, 13 hospitals, 25 shopping centers and more than a thousand properties of different types.
Rodríguez indicated that 302 aftershocks have been recorded since the double earthquake and that the Bolivarian National Armed Force remains deployed to support rescue efforts and maintain order.
However, the emergency has also caused supply problems. In Catia la Mar, La Guaira, looting was reported in several businesses while hundreds of people searched for food and other basic products.
Venezuelan authorities urged the population not to travel to the affected areas to avoid congestion that would make rescue operations difficult. Instead, they asked to channel aid through the collection centers set up in Caracas.
The Venezuelan Caribbean was shaken by two earthquakes just 39 seconds apart, a phenomenon known as a “seismic doublet,” according to the United States National Tsunami Warning Center. The movements also affected Caracas and other regions of the country, where the collapse of buildings and infrastructure was reported.
With information from EFE
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