DistantNews
Support us
🇻🇪 Venezuela /Disasters & Emergencies

Spanish Firefighters Recount 'Overwhelming' Tragedy in Venezuela

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Spanish firefighters returned to Murcia after a week of search and rescue operations in La Guaira, Venezuela, following seismic tragedies.
  • The team, including rescue dogs, worked to assess collapsed structures and search for survivors amidst widespread destruction.
  • While no survivors were found, the firefighters provided closure to families uncertain about their loved ones' fates.

Spanish firefighters have returned home after a week-long mission in Venezuela, where they assisted in the search and rescue operations following devastating earthquakes in La Guaira. Juan Antonio Pastor and Paco López Cobo, members of the Fire Extinction and Rescue Service (SEIS) of the Murcia City Council, along with rescue dogs Hammer and Ron, participated in the international effort.

Their deployment was part of a contingent supporting emergency operations after numerous structures collapsed due to seismic activity. Upon arrival, the scale of the disaster was overwhelming. "The situation surpassed us a bit. We are dedicated to emergencies, but that was something very big," stated Cobo, who initially traveled with the NGO IAE Rescue.

The situation surpassed us a bit. We are dedicated to emergencies, but that was something very big.

— Paco López CoboA Spanish firefighter describing the overwhelming scale of the disaster in La Guaira, Venezuela.

The Spanish team focused on evaluating collapsed buildings and searching for potential survivors. Their work involved meticulous inspections to determine if any life signs remained or if survivors could be located. Although they did not find anyone alive during their intervention, Cobo highlighted the importance of their efforts in providing answers to families anxiously awaiting news.

The bittersweet feeling of giving rest to many families who were intrigued to know if their loved one was alive.

— Paco López CoboA Spanish firefighter reflecting on the outcome of the search and rescue mission.

"The bittersweet feeling of giving rest to many families who were intrigued to know if their loved one was alive," Cobo reflected. The mission's conclusion marks a transition in Venezuela, with the focus shifting towards debris removal using heavy machinery, a phase that could only begin after rescue inspections were completed.

New teams from the NGO "Bomberos por bomberos" are now taking over coordination with international organizations for reconstruction and the restoration of essential services. César Claros, president of this new organization, emphasized the complexity of rescue operations and the diminishing chances of survival as time passes, drawing parallels to his experience during the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

It is not at all simple to carry out a rescue, these are complicated tasks and as the hours pass, the chances of survival decrease.

— César ClarosPresident of the NGO 'Bomberos por bomberos,' commenting on the challenges of rescue operations.
DistantNews Editorial

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

More Stories

From Our Blog