Venezuela earthquake: 24 nations send aid, rescue teams, says govt

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said 24 nations have sent aid after devastating twin earthquakes. International support includes 521 tonnes of supplies, 86 canine teams, and over 2,741 personnel to assist in rescue efforts.

International Community Rushes to Aid Venezuela

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, on Saturday (local time), said that 24 countries have extended assistance to the country following the devastating twin earthquakes that rattled the South American country a few days back by sending humanitarian aid, specialised rescue teams and thousands of emergency response personnel.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Rodriguez said the international community has so far provided 521 tonnes of relief supplies, deployed 86 specialised canine search teams, and sent more than 2,741 search, rescue and technical support personnel, who have already joined Venezuelan teams in responding to the disaster. "At this time, we have received support from 24 countries in the international community who have sent a total of 521 tons of supplies, 86 specialised canine teams and more than 2,741 members of search, rescue and technical support personnel, who are already integrated with our teams to respond jointly to the emergency," Rodriguez said.

She added that the international personnel are working alongside Venezuelan authorities in ongoing search, rescue and relief operations in areas affected by the twin earthquakes.

Death Toll Surpasses 1,400 Amid Widespread Destruction

According to CNN, citing an update provided by Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, at least 1,430 people have died in the devastating twin earthquakes that hit the country on Wednesday. He added that 3,238 people have been injured, while 3,142 families have been displaced after losing their homes.

Rescue Efforts Hampered by Aftershocks

Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as the critical rescue window narrows, with operations being hindered by a shortage of heavy equipment and persistent aftershocks. Since the twin earthquakes--measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude--struck Venezuela on Wednesday, the country has experienced multiple aftershocks and smaller tremors, complicating ongoing rescue and relief efforts. Earlier today, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) detected an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 off the coast of Venezuela that impacted the waters off the coast of Aragua.

Understanding Earthquake Magnitude

According to CNN, earthquakes are recorded using a logarithmic magnitude scale, where each whole-number increase represents roughly 32 times more energy release. This means the second quake in Venezuela, measured at magnitude 7.5, released significantly more energy than the first 7.2-magnitude tremor, which struck about 40 seconds earlier. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)