Officials in Venezuela have confirmed that rescuers are combing through the rubble of a collapsed residential building in La Guaira, a port city 30 miles north of Caracas. The incident, which occurred early this morning, has left an unknown number of victims trapped beneath tonnes of concrete and twisted steel. Sources close to the British Foreign Office have told this paper that a UK urban search-and-rescue team has been placed on standby, awaiting a formal request for assistance from the Maduro government.
The team, drawn from the UK’s International Search and Rescue network, specialises in collapsed structures and can deploy within hours if given the green light. Local authorities report that at least 12 people have been pulled alive from the debris, but the death toll is expected to rise. The building, a 10-storey block in the city’s centre, had a history of structural complaints.
Documents obtained by this paper show that residents had filed at least three petitions with the local municipality over the past two years, citing cracks in load-bearing walls and water damage. The La Guaira mayor’s office declined to comment on the maintenance history. Emergency services are using sniffer dogs and acoustic sensors to locate survivors.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by aftershocks from a minor earthquake registered 4.2 on the Richter scale earlier this week. Construction standards in Venezuela have been a concern for years, with many structures built during the oil boom failing to meet safety codes.
A 2021 report by the Venezuelan Society of Engineers warned that up to 40% of buildings in coastal cities could be at risk in a seismic event. The UK team’s standby status indicates that Whitehall is preparing for a worst-case scenario. The British embassy in Caracas has offered logistical support, but any deployment will require clearance from the Venezuelan authorities, who are notoriously sensitive to foreign intervention.
As darkness falls over La Guaira, the rescue effort continues. Families gather at cordons, clutching photographs and waiting for news. The clock is ticking.
