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Spaniards Missing in Venezuela Earthquakes Rise to 152
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Spaniards Missing in Venezuela Earthquakes Rise to 152

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The number of Spaniards missing in Venezuela's recent earthquakes has risen to 152, with nine confirmed deaths and 14 individuals located but not yet rescued.
  • Spain has dispatched additional rescue teams and aid, including a field hospital, to Venezuela, with a financial package of 1 million euros mobilized.
  • Venezuelan authorities have reported 1,430 deaths, 3,238 injuries, and 3,142 affected families following the seismic events.

The number of Spaniards missing in the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela has climbed to 152, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reported on Sunday. The grim toll includes nine confirmed fatalities, with another 14 individuals located beneath the rubble but awaiting rescue. Albares provided the latest update during an interview with Radio Nacional de España (RNE).

Spain has intensified its response, with a second aircraft carrying rescue personnel from six autonomous regions now in Venezuela. They join efforts alongside personnel from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). By July 1, the AECID's START team is expected to deploy a field hospital, supported by a 1 million euro financial package channeled through the International Red Cross.

We have passed all the information to the rescue teams and, given the existing difficulties on the ground, both for acting and for communicating, we currently have no further information.

— José Manuel AlbaresThe Spanish Foreign Minister explained the challenges in obtaining updates on the rescue of Spanish citizens trapped under rubble.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities have confirmed 1,430 deaths, 3,238 injuries, and 3,142 families displaced by the earthquakes. Albares expressed regret over the lack of progress in rescuing the 14 Spanish citizens located, citing significant difficulties on the ground that hinder both rescue operations and communication. The Spanish government remains in contact with Venezuelan authorities, seeking any possibility of survival for those trapped.

Consular emergency lines have been inundated with calls, receiving 518 from Spain and 530 from Venezuela. The ministry urges Spaniards in the affected country to utilize these channels for information and assistance. For those wishing to contribute aid, the AECID website and social media are recommended as the most effective ways to channel solidarity. A total of 76 Spaniards have already returned to Spain on a military aircraft that transported rescue teams and initial aid.

Follow those instructions at all times because it is the best way for that solidarity to be truly effectively channeled.

— José Manuel AlbaresThe minister advised on the best way for citizens to channel their aid to the Venezuelan people.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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