Czech rescue team arrives in Venezuela after deadly earthquakes

The Czech urban search and rescue team has arrived in Venezuela and is setting up an operational base in the area hit by Wednesday's powerful earthquakes, the Czech Fire Rescue Service said on X on Sunday.

The 70-member team, accompanied by eight specially trained search dogs, flew from Prague on Saturday and reached Venezuela early on Sunday via Curaçao. Nineteen members of the team remain on Curaçao after being unable to board the onward flight. They are expected to join the rest of the team as soon as possible.

Before departing, team commander Petr Vodička said footage from the disaster zone suggested some people could still be trapped alive beneath collapsed buildings and that the Czech rescuers would do everything they could to reach them.