El Salvador and the Dominican Republic also join rescue operations following deadly seismic doublet.

On Thursday, Panamanian President Jose Mulino dispatched a team of rescue workers to support the search for survivors of the two earthquakes that devastated Venezuela on Wednesday, leaving at least 164 dead and 971 injured.

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“I have instructed the deployment of a mission of rescue workers and Sinaproc personnel to Venezuela in order to assist in rescue and lifesaving operations. We hope the effects of this tragedy can soon be stabilized,” Mulino posted on X.

Previously, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared the state of La Guaira a “natural disaster zone,” where several buildings collapsed and the country’s main airport is located.

In the capital city of Caracas, some buildings also collapsed, while the extent of the damage in the interior of the South American country remains unclear.

El Salvador and the Dominican Republic have also announced the deployment of personnel to contribute to rescue efforts for people trapped in the rubble of buildings that collapsed as a result of the “seismic doublet,” consisting of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake recorded just 39 seconds apart.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his country would send teams to assist with rescue operations in Venezuela.

“I had the opportunity to speak this morning with Acting President Delcy Rodriguez. We are already deploying search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. We will add more,” he told reporters during a visit to Bahrain.

Rubio also said that searching for people trapped in the rubble is the immediate priority. In a later phase, once a full assessment of the damage has been completed, the U.S. government will study how to help restore the Venezuelan infrastructure and telecommunications networks.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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