July 2, 2026
LA GUAIRA – In the first day carrying out search and rescue mission, Vietnamese joint military–public security forces have managed to recover 11 bodies from earthquake rubble in Playa Grande, in Venezuela’s La Guaira State, on June 30 (local time), after identifying locations where victims were believed trapped.
The teams also opened an additional field aid station, treating 26 residents.
On June 29 and 30 (local time), the delegation handed over relief supplies to Venezuela, including 35 tonnes of dry rations, 60 medicine kits, two tonnes of tinned meat, four generators, 500 tents, 10 tent shelters and 50,000 rolls of medical bandages.
After arriving in the country on June 29, the 124-member Vietnamese team conducted field surveys to determine operation plans.
Vietnamese rescuers carry a victim’s body from the rubble. PHOTO: VNA/VIET NAM NEWS
The Ministry of Public Security team found its first victim’s body on the afternoon of June 30 (local time) buried deep in the rubble of a collapsed building.
The team had deployed that morning after completing a site survey and settling into camp on its first day in Venezuela, focusing its search on the hardest-hit area in Playa Grande.
The search site covered a large area with multiple collapsed high-rise buildings. The team searched a nine-storey apartment building that had almost completely collapsed.
Vietnamese rescuers exchange information with an international rescue team. PHOTO: VNA/VIET NAM NEWS
Residents said about 15 people remained trapped under the rubble. The site was complex, with a high risk of secondary collapse, making access to victims’ locations difficult.
By late afternoon, the team had pinpointed the exact location and extracted the victim’s body, handing it over to Venezuelan authorities.