Switzerland’s government said Thursday it would send a rescue team and tonnes of equipment to Venezuela after two earthquakes killed at least 164 people.
The foreign ministry said in a statement that it had mobilised “the Swiss Rescue Chain, comprised of 80 members, eight rescue dogs and 18 tonnes of rescue equipment”.
The announcement came after Venezuela’s strongest earthquake since 1900 sent rescuers and locals clambering in the dark over flattened apartments, hunting for survivors and extracting people from under the ruins.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck areas west of the capital on Wednesday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
“The mission of the Swiss Rescue Chain is to search for, extricate, and rescue victims buried under the rubble,” the foreign ministry said.
“With Venezuelan airspace closed to most European airlines, efforts are currently underway to organise a flight as soon as possible to transport the Swiss rescue teams and their equipment,” it added.
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