Turkish rescue teams deployed to Venezuela following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes recorded on 25 June have now begun searching for survivors beneath the rubble of buildings brought down by the earthquakes. “We have brought the generosity and friendship of the Turkish people,” members of the aid mission sent by Turkey assure the Venezuelans.
The teams, who landed at Simón Bolívar Airport in the Venezuelan capital aboard two Turkish military transport aircraft, were received by the Turkey’s ambassador in Caracas, Naci Aydan Karamanoğlu, who, recalling the earthquakes – also a double quake – that devastated south-eastern Türkiye on 6 February 2023, leaving more than 53,000 dead, pointed out that the earthquakes in Venezuela have affected numerous provinces, including the capital: “The greatest destruction occurred in the province of La Guaira, where the airport is located. We are very pleased that the search and rescue teams from Turkey have arrived,” he said in comments reported by the news channel TRT Haber.
The commander of the Turkish Armed Forces’ Humanitarian Aid Brigade, Brigadier General Mehmet Bahtiyar, explained that the contingent sent to Venezuela includes a fully equipped search and rescue unit and four rescue dogs specialised in locating victims trapped under buildings.
“We have brought not only personnel and supplies, but also the generosity and the friendship of the Turkish people, as well as their condolences to the Venezuelan people for the earthquake they have suffered. In natural disasters, distance is not really important; we have travelled a very long way, but that is not what matters. In such situations, we are prepared to help all people and living beings around the world who request assistance, no matter where they are,” he emphasised.
Turkish rescuers will work alongside their Spanish counterparts in La Guaira
After landing in Venezuela, the personnel who had arrived from Turkey – from the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) and the Turkish Armed Forces – were sent to La Guaira, the area most affected by the earthquake, after receiving a report that there might be survivors beneath the rubble of a collapsed 14-storey building in the La Páez housing estate; there they are coordinating operations with the Spanish search and rescue teams already working in the area.
According to local residents, the collapsed building contained 43 flats, 41 of which were occupied; furthermore, several people have already been rescued alive from the rubble and one of them was even able to provide information on the presence and location of other people who remain trapped beneath the building.
The earthquake that devastated Venezuela on 25 June has so far caused at least 1,450 deaths – including 17 Spaniards – and left 3,150 people injured, according to the most recent figures provided by the government in Caracas. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez – who took office following the capture of Maduro by the US – has announced the extension of the suspension of classes for a further week in schools across the country due to the devastating consequences of the earthquakes. There are also some 150 Spanish citizens missing, and Argentina has also reported the disappearance of three of its citizens, whilst the deaths of three citizens of Chile have been confirmed.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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