Search and rescue teams from France, the United Kingdom, and Spain arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday to assist in locating and recovering victims of the twin earthquakes that struck on 24 June. The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, are the strongest to hit the South American nation in over a century, killing more than 1,700 people.
Tens of thousands remain unaccounted for, and hopes of finding survivors are fading as the critical 72-hour window for rescue operations closed on Saturday evening. The disaster has flattened entire neighborhoods in the coastal state of La Guaira and the capital Caracas, leaving a trail of destruction.
European Teams on the Ground
Thierry Velu, founder of the French disaster relief group GSCF, described the mission: “So the objective of the mission, there are currently nine of us, is precisely to go and search for victims under the rubble. We have equipment that allows us to detect buried victims who are still, and I believe there are still many victims, alive beneath the debris.”
Mario Lopez, head of the Spanish rescue team, added: “We also have a geophone, which is a digital stethoscope, so to speak. And we’re going to listen for any impulse, any knock, any voice, from many meters away.”
The British team, part of the UK International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) contingent, is deploying specialist equipment to probe collapsed structures. Their arrival underscores the international solidarity with Venezuela, a country already grappling with political and economic crises.
Devastation and Recovery Efforts
The United States military has repaired and reopened the Port of La Guaira, a key seaport in the hardest-hit area, to facilitate aid delivery. The USS Fort Lauderdale is docked there, unloading supplies. Meanwhile, American airmen are working to restore operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, which suffered heavy damage.
At the port, an AFP correspondent observed a warehouse storing hundreds of unidentified bodies in white and black body bags, alongside a few coffins. Dozens of relatives waited outside the makeshift morgue for news, as forensic personnel examined corpses. Nearby, rescuers and volunteers dug through mountains of rubble, though the likelihood of finding life five days after the quakes is remote.
A new 4.6 magnitude tremor on Monday rekindled fear among the population, further complicating rescue efforts.
Satellite Data Reveals Scale of Destruction
Preliminary satellite data from NASA and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 radar imagery satellite indicates that approximately 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed across the affected region. Researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, who analyzed the data, cautioned that this is a rapid assessment and not verified on the ground.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez reported on Monday that 855 buildings have been damaged, including 189 total collapses. The discrepancy between official figures and satellite estimates highlights the challenges of assessing damage in a country with limited infrastructure.
As the death toll rises, the European Union has warned of an imminent health crisis. An EU expert noted that the combination of destroyed medical facilities, lack of clean water, and overcrowded shelters could lead to outbreaks of disease. For more on this, read EU Expert Warns of Imminent Health Crisis in Venezuela After Twin Earthquakes.
Portugal has been particularly affected, with 96 Portuguese nationals confirmed dead, including 17 children. The Portuguese government has sent additional consular staff to assist families. Details are available in Portugal's Death Toll in Venezuela Earthquakes Rises to 96, Including 17 Children.
In a rare glimmer of hope, a Venezuelan security guard was rescued after eight days under rubble, as reported in Venezuelan Security Guard Rescued After Eight Days Under Rubble Following Twin Quakes. However, such cases remain exceptional.
The international community continues to mobilize, with European teams playing a crucial role in the search for survivors. As the days pass, the focus is shifting from rescue to recovery, but the determination to find the missing remains undimmed.
