Italians dig through La Guaira's rubble in 'apocalyptic' aftermath

Italian rescue teams are engaged in continuous, round-the-clock operations amidst the rubble of La Guaira, Venezuela, a city devastated by a powerful earthquake. Local press has described the scene as an "apocalypse," with sunlight reflecting off the dust of collapsed skyscrapers.

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We work non-stop.

Italian firefighters and civil protection units arrived promptly, immediately heading to the most heavily impacted coastal area of La Guaira. After establishing a base camp in the city's baseball field, the rescue teams began the critical task of sifting through debris. Ciro Bolognese, the Usar team leader, emphasized the relentless nature of their work, stating, "We work non-stop."

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Next to us are Germany, Ecuador and Chile for example.

The Italian base camp is situated next to the international operations center coordinating global rescue efforts. Bolognese noted the presence of teams from Germany, Ecuador, and Chile. The Italian Usar team has initiated reconnaissance to identify intervention priorities in their assigned sector, Sector B, before commencing operational phases using specialized search systems and equipment like concrete demolition tools and steel bar cutters.

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The Usar team will also have three health workers from Civil Protection.

Supporting the rescue efforts, three civil protection health workers are integrated with the Usar team, while an additional 34 medical personnel will work in hospitals and other assigned scenarios. The Italian crisis unit is also providing diplomatic support, with officials offering assistance to Italian citizens affected by the tragedy. The number of calls for assistance has reportedly multiplied in recent hours. Italy has pledged an initial 5 million euros in emergency aid, with more expected, allocated to civil society organizations, the Red Cross, and the World Food Programme.

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The calls have multiplied in the last few hours, we register more and more requests hour by hour.