Trump Says US "Ready To Help" After Twin Quakes Level Apartment Towers In Venezuela, USGS Warns Death Toll Could Hit 100K
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Posted Zero Hedge
UPDATE: Spanish-language news outlet UHN Plus reports:
Independent monitoring platforms and missing persons search pages unofficially estimate between 39,000 and 40,000 reports of people unaccounted for following the devastating earthquake in Venezuela.
hase One Of Humanitarian Response Begins
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided reporters with an update on America's efforts to help Venezuelans after two massive earthquakes rocked the Caracas metro area and likely left thousands dead.
"We're already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There will be some others we'll add. That's their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts- they have much of collapsed buildings. And so they'll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that," Rubio said.
He added, "We've already stood up our disaster response teams at the Department of State and our humanitarian efforts. It's something we did very well in Jamaica, after that storm, and it's something we're really prepared to do now."
Any U.S. government-led humanitarian response would likely include naval medical support, potentially involving hospital ships such as the USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) and USNS Mercy (T-AH-19). However, there is no official update on whether either vessel is currently ready for rapid deployment.
According to USNI News, US Navy deployments in the Caribbean Sea include:
A single ship from the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the Caribbean Sea after a 10-month deployment. USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) remains in the region after USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit returned in early June from deployment. The 24th MEU replaced the 22nd MEU as the "immediate crisis response force" and will be spread throughout the region instead of deploying with an Amphibious Ready Group, USNI News reported. Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings (LCS-15) is also operating in the Caribbean Sea. Billings is based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
Summary
- Buildings collapsed in several districts of Caracas
- Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio Deploys First Responders
- Trump Says "U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help"
- USGS Says Quakes May Prompt "International Response"
- USGS Fears Death Toll Ranging Between 10k - 100k
The twin quakes that rocked the Caracas metro area overnight may result in a death toll ranging between 10,000 and 100,000, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.
USGS said, "Past red alerts have required a national or international response," adding, "Estimated economic losses are 2-20% of Venezuela's GDP."
Even before the quakes, Venezuela was already economically devastated under the socialist Maduro regime. The sheer magnitude of the disaster will likely prompt an international response led by Washington.
"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly," President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president added, "We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!"
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, "America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time, and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela."
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency shortly after the quakes. She said that Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas was closed on Thursday due to damage.
Rodriguez said the number of deaths so far totals 164 people and that around 1,000 people were injured.
