A new assessment of the two strong earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday (24) adds 188 deaths and 1,520 injuries, after intense work to search for survivors. The previous report pointed to 164 deaths and almost a thousand injured.
“Until now, regrettably, we must report 188 Venezuelan women and men dead as a result of the earthquake,” said the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, in a televised statement.
On Thursday night, two tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred that caused destruction in Caracas and other cities. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), they were the most intense recorded in the country in more than 100 years. The tremor was felt in municipalities in northern Brazil.
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency in the country, with the suspension of classes and non-essential services. Gas and electricity networks were preventively turned off in affected areas to avoid further accidents.
International aid
Early this Thursday morning (25), Delcy reported that specialized rescue teams linked to the United Nations system were on their way to the country.
Another military rescue team and medical personnel from Mexico, specializing in collapsed structures, were also heading to the country. President Claudia Sheinbaum informed that, after an initial assessment, it will be determined to send “additional personnel, as necessary, to provide assistance”.
The Vatican sent emergency aid of 100 thousand euros (about 591 thousand reais). The resources come from the Apostolic Alms, a body of the Holy See responsible for the pope’s charitable works and assistance to populations in difficulty.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that it released 2.5 million dollars (approximately R$13 million) to support recovery work.
The European Union’s Crisis Management Commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, reported that the European Copernicus satellite detection system has been activated to support rescue operations in Venezuela.
Switzerland announced that it will send 80 rescuers and 18 tons of rescue equipment to help the victims.
The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, expressed his solidarity with the government, with “most sincere condolences”, and highlighted that “Cuban health professionals are actively collaborating in caring for the victims”.
The interim president also announced the creation of an initial fund of US$200 million for the reconstruction of infrastructure affected by the earthquakes. The resources, according to her, come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and will be used to restore hospitals, housing and other public facilities.
Leaders from France, Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, India, Russia, Chile, Colombia, Argentina and the United States (USA), among others, also showed solidarity and offered help.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and made Brazil available to collaborate with recovery efforts. “I received with deep consternation the news of the earthquakes that hit Venezuela. I express my solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the families of the victims”, he stated.
The Chinese government has also said it is ready to send whatever aid it can to Venezuela.
“We are confident that under the government’s leadership, the people of Venezuela will recover and rebuild soon,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
* With AFP
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
