Rome mobilises rescue team as death toll mounts following devastating double quake.Italy has deployed a specialist rescue mission to Venezuela following a catastrophic sequence of earthquakes that struck the South American country in the early hours of Thursday, causing widespread destruction and a rapidly rising toll of casualties.The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, left at least 235 people dead, thousands injured, and around 45,000 people reported missing, with hundreds of buildings collapsed including in the capital, Caracas. Italy joins global response Italy indicated it was ready to make an operational contribution in response to the international request for assistance following the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela. The civil protection department, working in collaboration with the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, prepared the departure of an advance team to coordinate with Venezuelan authorities and prepare the arrival of a flight carrying personnel from the regional health services and the fire brigade.  A total of 41 firefighters departed from the Pratica di Mare military airbase, flying on an Italian Air Force aircraft as part of an international mission. The contingent comprises 25 experts from the USAR ITA-02 module (Urban Search and Rescue) who specialise in locating and extracting survivors from rubble; 12 operators from the TAST module (Technical Assistance and Support Team), providing logistical and cartographic support; two technicians for emergency scenario assessment; and two specialists in emergency communications. The flight is operating within the framework of the EU civil protection mechanism, which Venezuela had already requested to activate. Also on board is a team from the foreign ministry's crisis unit, whose role is to act as a liaison between the civil protection department, the Italian embassy and local authorities, and to coordinate consular assistance to citizens caught up in the disaster. Italian-Venezuelan citizens Following confirmation of the death of one Italian-Venezuelan citizen registered as resident abroad (AIRE) in the Vargas-La Guaira area, the possible involvement of other dual nationals is being investigated. One Italian-Venezuelan woman is known to have been hospitalised with fractures. Efforts to gather information on any missing compatriots are continuing on the ground. On the instruction of foreign minister Antonio Tajani, procedures have been initiated for a declaration of a state of emergency for overseas interventions. The Farnesina is preparing a package of humanitarian initiatives, both bilateral and multilateral, involving possible action through Italian civil society organisations already operating in the country, including the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the World Food Programme. In a statement on Thursday, Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following the situation in Venezuela "with deep concern" and expressed her "sincerest solidarity and sympathy to the Venezuelan authorities and people" on behalf of the Italian government. Photo credit: somkanae sawatdinak / Shutterstock.com

Italy has deployed a  to Venezuela following a catastrophic sequence of earthquakes that struck the South American country in the early hours of Thursday, causing widespread destruction and a rapidly rising toll of casualties. The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, left at least 235 people dead, thousands injured, and around 45,000 people reported missing, with hundreds of buildings collapsed including in the capital, Caracas. Italy indicated it was ready to make an operational contribution in response to the international request for assistance following the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela. The civil protection department, working in collaboration with the  and international cooperation, prepared the departure of an advance team to coordinate with Venezuelan authorities and prepare the arrival of a flight carrying personnel from the regional health services and the fire brigade.  A total of 41 firefighters departed from the Pratica di Mare military airbase, flying on an Italian Air Force aircraft as part of an international mission. The contingent comprises 25 experts from the USAR ITA-02 module (Urban Search and Rescue) who specialise in locating and extracting survivors from rubble; 12 operators from the TAST module (Technical Assistance and Support Team), providing logistical and cartographic support; two technicians for emergency scenario assessment; and two specialists in emergency communications. The flight is operating within the framework of the EU civil protection mechanism, which Venezuela had already requested to activate. Also on board is a team from the foreign ministry's crisis unit, whose role is to act as a liaison between the civil protection department, the Italian embassy and local authorities, and to coordinate consular assistance to citizens caught up in the disaster. Following confirmation of the death of one Italian-Venezuelan citizen registered as resident abroad (AIRE) in the Vargas-La Guaira area, the possible involvement of other dual nationals is being investigated. One Italian-Venezuelan woman is known to have been hospitalised with fractures. Efforts to gather information on any missing compatriots are continuing on the ground. On the instruction of foreign minister Antonio Tajani, procedures have been initiated for a declaration of a state of emergency for overseas interventions. The Farnesina is preparing a package of humanitarian initiatives, both bilateral and multilateral, involving possible action through Italian civil society organisations already operating in the country, including the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the World Food Programme. In  on Thursday, Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following the situation in Venezuela "with deep concern" and expressed her "sincerest solidarity and sympathy to the Venezuelan authorities and people" on behalf of the Italian government. Photo credit: somkanae sawatdinak / Shutterstock.com