Following the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24th, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) personnel have been deployed to the country to support international search and rescue operations.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck just seconds apart, leaving at least 1,900 people dead and more than 10,000 others injured or unaccounted for.
As part of the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UK-ISAR) Team, MAWWFRS personnel have joined a 68-strong contingent drawn from 15 Fire and Rescue Services across the UK. The deployment also includes six specially trained search dogs to assist in locating survivors.
The team is currently operating in the Caraballeda coastal region, approximately 10 miles north of the capital, Caracas. Since arriving, personnel have been carrying out systematic searches of collapsed structures, deploying canine search teams and using specialist equipment to locate survivors.
MAWWFRS’s Chief Fire Officer, Craig Flannery, said:
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, and with the families and communities facing the aftermath of this tragedy.
We are immensely proud of our UK-ISAR personnel, who volunteer their skills and expertise to support humanitarian operations around the world. They are working in extremely challenging and hazardous conditions, alongside international partners, as efforts continue to locate and rescue those trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
We remain in regular contact with the team and will continue to provide them with our full support throughout their deployment.”
National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair, Phil Garrigan, said:
“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by these devastating earthquakes and the families still waiting for news of their loved ones.
Since arriving in Venezuela the UK ISAR team has been working round the clock in incredibly challenging conditions, working side by side with local and international colleagues as part of a coordinated global response.
Their dedication and professionalism is a source of great pride for the UK’s fire and rescue services.”
UK-ISAR is the official UK Government response to international disasters, funded and supported by FCDO (Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office).
The UK Fire and Rescue Services forming the response to Venezuela are:
Cheshire, Essex, Greater Manchester, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Mid and West Wales, Scotland, South Wales and West Midlands.