El Salvador has significantly expanded its humanitarian response following the devastating 7.5 and 7.1 magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday. A fifth cargo plane departed early Friday morning, reinforcing an active air bridge organized by the Salvadoran government to support ongoing search, rescue, and debris removal operations in the South American nation.
According to the Presidency’s Press Secretariat, the mobilization will ultimately encompass six flights transporting 300 elite rescuers and 150 tons of emergency equipment, food, and vital supplies. Images released by authorities showed teams working through the early hours of Friday to load heavy machinery, specialized tools, and provisions aimed at sustaining the comprehensive relief effort.
The initial Salvadoran contingent arrived in Venezuela early Friday morning, deploying directly to La Guaira, the coastal state hardest hit by the seismic disaster. This specialized task force is a coordinated coalition including the National Fire Corps, Comandos de Salvamento, the Salvadoran Red Cross, Civil Protection, the Armed Forces (FAES), specialized K-9 units, and the Green Cross.
Equipped with heavy machinery and canine search teams, Salvadoran forces immediately joined local efforts to clear collapsed buildings and locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble. Speed remains critical as emergency workers battle a volatile environment; Venezuelan authorities have already registered 214 aftershocks since the initial earthquakes.
The arrival of international aid coincides with a grim update on the human toll of the disaster. During an address broadcasted on state television, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the crisis has rapidly escalated, stating, “In the general balance, we must unfortunately report that we already have 589 deceased persons and 2,980 injured persons.”