International rescuers and thousands of volunteers continue searching for survivors under the rubble after a devastating earthquake in Venezuela. The situation on the ground is being described as a 'war zone'. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Firefighters and international rescuers search the remains of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela. Photograph: Manu Quintero/The Guardian. Thousands of volunteers from across Venezuela have joined the rescue efforts, along with international teams. Rescuers say the situation is dire: 'I can only describe it as a war zone,' they said. There is hope that more survivors may still be found under the rubble.
Rescue operations continue around the clock. International rescuers are using specialized equipment and dogs to search for people under the debris. Venezuelan authorities have sent humanitarian aid to affected areas, but delivery is hampered by severe infrastructure damage. The exact magnitude of the earthquake and the number of casualties have not yet been confirmed, but preliminary reports indicate hundreds dead and thousands injured.
One rescuer said: 'We have never seen anything like this. Buildings are completely destroyed, streets are filled with rubble. But we do not lose hope.' Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has appealed for international help, calling the scale of the disaster 'historic'. Rescue teams from around the world are being deployed to Venezuela.
Currently, specialists from Russia, Cuba, China, and other countries are participating in the rescue efforts, working alongside local rescuers. The United States has also offered humanitarian aid to Venezuela. The UN has set up a special team to assist in disaster response.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the city of La Guaira. Most buildings in the area were old and had low seismic resistance, leading to their complete collapse. Rescuers are forced to work manually to extract people from the rubble, as much of the heavy equipment is unusable.
This earthquake in Venezuela is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the last decade. Experts say the death toll may rise further. Rescue operations are expected to continue for several days.