Venezuela earthquakes leave at least 32 dead, 700 hurt: Dutch search team on standby
Two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 hit northern Venezuela in quick succession around 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, local time. At least 32 people were killed, and over 700 were injured, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez reported. This is only an initial tally. The Dutch search and rescue team, USAR, is standing ready to help.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quakes occurred about 160 kilometers west of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, within a minute of each other. According to Rodriguez, there have been at least 20 aftershocks. Several buildings have collapsed in Caracas. Based on models, the USGS expects the death toll to run into the thousands, with a significant chance that over 10,000 people have died.
Images from the disaster area show rescue workers and locals searching the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The Dutch Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), specialised in searching for and rescuing people from collapsed buildings, has not yet received a request for assistance from Venezuela, but is standing ready to help, a spokeswoman told ANP.
“We are monitoring the situation,” the USAR spokeswoman said. Should the organization’s assistance be required, it is ready to deploy 61 people to the area, including search and rescue workers, nurses, doctors, structural engineers, dog handlers, support staff, and supervisors.
The Dutch embassy in Caracas has advised Dutch citizens in Venezuela to seek a safe place, stay away from damaged buildings, and keep to open outdoor spaces. The embassy also urged Dutch citizens to let their family and friends know that they are safe and to keep an eye on the local news.
The Meteorological Service in Curacao confirmed that the earthquakes in Venezuela were also felt on the island. The service issued a yellow alert for the island, but sees no risk of a tsunami. Shortly after the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands.
