At least 235 dead and 4,300 injured have been reported by Venezuelan authorities over 24 hours after two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, which mainly affected Caracas and the nearby state of La Guaira, while search and rescue operations continue, and the Government continues to assess the material damages.
There are at least 2,927 families affected, 157 reported missing, 200 people trapped, 250 damaged buildings, and eight affected hospitals, some of which "have had to be evacuated," according to the Government.
In La Guaira alone, over 100 buildings collapsed, while more than 100 heavy machinery teams are mobilized for the recovery of trapped individuals, and the deployment of 11,500 security officials from various institutions is expected for this Friday.
Website to connect with missing persons
The citizen initiative Missing Persons Earthquake Venezuela has launched a website where Venezuelans try to contact their relatives. Several thousand people have been reported as missing.
Phone numbers provided by the Embassy of Venezuela in Spain to request information in our country
In a statement, the Embassy of Venezuela in Spain has compiled the telephone numbers that residents in our country can call to request information after the earthquakes. They are as follows:
+34 915 981 200 - Embassy of Venezuela in Spain+34 650 817 137- Consulate of Venezuela in Madrid+34 650 285 759 - Consulate of Venezuela in Barcelona+34 639 154 752 - Consulate of Venezuela in Bilbao+34 672 353 744 - Consulate of Venezuela in Vigo+34 608 670 628 - Consulate of Venezuela in the Canary Islands
Catalonia will send 15 specialized firefighters in collapsed structures to Venezuela
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, announced on Friday that they will send 15 specialists from the Collapsed Structures Group (GREC) of Firefighters to Venezuela and explained that they have also offered the country a group of ten forensic experts to assist in the identification of bodies and to be able to travel when required by Venezuelan authorities.
He said this during the inauguration of the conference 'The Impact of Next Generation Funds in Catalonia', where he reiterated the "solidarity of the Government and the entire population of Catalonia in tragic moments for the country" after the two earthquakes.
Illa added that on Friday afternoon he will meet with Venezuelan entities in Catalonia: "To inquire about their condition and everything they are going through."
Spanish municipalities will observe a minute of silence on Monday for the victims in Venezuela
The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) has called on municipalities, provincial councils, island councils, and councils to observe a minute of silence on Monday at 12:00 in memory of the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela.
According to the municipal entity, the president of the FEMP and mayor of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), María José García-Pelayo, proposed this minute of silence as a symbol of respect for the victims and in solidarity with the Venezuelans who have suffered a double earthquake.
First panic, then desolation and then abandonment. Residents of La Guaira, a coastal state destroyed by nature for the second time in just 27 years, pleaded throughout Thursday for help from the capital and the rest of the country, as citizens, volunteers, some police officers, and firefighters, without proper tools and machinery, struggled to rescue the hundreds of people trapped in buildings.
As if it were a Caribbean reissue of the tragic flood in Valencia, among the hundreds of volunteers who began to arrive from Caracas, a slogan emerged, which soon became popular: "Where there is a lack of government, (what) abounds is the people," very similar to the Valencian cry, turned into a slogan of anger, of "only the people save the people."
"There is my five-year-old granddaughter walled in," shouted the grandfather in a hurry in Catia La Mar to draw the attention of the newcomers. It was by no means an isolated case. "I have always voted for this government, and they can send a tanker (fire truck) so that those walled in do not die of suffocation," he complained anxiously, fearing that the fire that was starting would consume the remains of the structure that was once a home.
A senior US military official arrives in Venezuela to "supervise" support for rescue efforts
"With speed, precision, and unparalleled logistical capacity, US teams are deploying to support response operations following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela," the US Embassy in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, stated.
It also confirmed the arrival in Caracas of Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard from the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), responsible for "coordinating" efforts "alongside the team on the ground." "We remain committed to Venezuela," he pointed out in a social media post.
Ecuador sends nearly 50 rescuers and two dogs to Venezuela after the double earthquake
The Fire Department of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, announced on Thursday the dispatch of 47 rescuers and two dogs to Venezuela to support search, rescue, and structure assessment operations.
"We will deploy 47 rescuers and two dogs. Additionally, we will mobilize six tons of equipment," the Quito department announced in a statement, specifying that the dispatch includes a camp with autonomy for up to seven days, satellite internet systems for coordination and communication, or drones for reconnaissance and assessment of affected areas.
In addition, various cutting and drilling teams, cameras with seismic sensors, and acoustic detection devices to locate possible victims under rubble will be sent, as detailed by the Fire Department, adding that the goal is to provide "specialized support" in search, rescue, and structure assessment operations.
Neighbors search for their loved ones among the rubble
In cities across northern Venezuela, neighbors helped each other on Thursday digging through the rubble to find their loved ones after two consecutive earthquakes that, according to authorities, claimed the lives of over 230 people and left thousands injured the night before.