Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese military and police rescue personnel pushed ahead with search and rescue operations in Playa Grande, La Guaira state – the hardest-hit area in Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes, on July 1 (local time).
The mountainous coastal area, where many multi-storey buildings built on steep slopes collapsed, remains one of the most challenging search sites.
Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the rescue department under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and head of the Vietnamese mission, urged team members to continue "racing against time" while upholding their sense of responsibility, international humanitarian commitment and solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
Working under harsh conditions, military and police personnel coordinated closely in multiple search teams, combining their expertise with specialised rescue equipment to locate survivors and victims as quickly and efficiently as possible. Drawing on experience gained from numerous disaster response operations in Vietnam, the rescuers rapidly assessed signs of possible victims after arriving at the scene.
Search dogs were first deployed to identify locations where victims were believed to be trapped beneath collapsed structures. Engineers then used acoustic detection devices and ground-penetrating radar to pinpoint their locations before carefully accessing the sites.
The Vietnamese teams also expanded search operations after receiving requests for assistance from victims' families. Meanwhile, military medical personnel continued providing emergency treatment and healthcare services for residents at a field medical station.
Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Le Cuong, deputy head of the fire prevention, firefighting and rescue division under the Hanoi Police Department, said experience from previous rescue operations shows that thorough assessment and careful planning are critical to carrying out effective rescue missions.
According to the latest update, the Vietnamese teams identified 16 locations where victims were believed to be trapped on July 1. Rescue personnel searched nine of the sites and recovered victims' bodies, bringing the total number of victims found by the Vietnamese contingent to 23 after two days of operations.The remaining seven locations were handed over to local authorities for further search efforts.
This marks the third overseas humanitarian and disaster relief mission undertaken by the Vietnam People's Army and the People's Public Security force. The Vietnamese contingent deployed to support earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela comprises 124 personnel.
Also on July 1, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of national mourning in memory of those who lost their lives in the twin earthquakes./.
