Malaga sends firefighters to Venezuela to search for survivors

In humanitarian disasters, the first 72 hours can be the difference between life and death.

With this in mind, Malaga province is sending to Venezuela on Friday a team of firefighters as part of an emergency operation following the two devastating earthquakes on 24 June.

According to the latest count, the death toll has risen to 235 and the number of injured to 4,300, but authorities expect that the numbers will continue growing.

At the head of the team from Malaga is Alfonso Parada. "What motivates us is being able to help. If, on top of that, we can give a second chance to a person who has been buried, that is the very lifeblood of our profession," Parada said.

The Malaga team initially consists of ten firefighters and expects an eleventh member to join them shortly. They have also brought cutting-edge technology designed specifically to "see" and "hear" where the human eye can detect nothing but tonnes of concrete.

Firefighters will use thermal and infrared cameras capable of detecting human heat signatures; seismic sensors, whose high sensitivity allows them to capture the slightest impact or vibration from someone trapped; and cameras equipped with 60-metre-long cables that can safely inspect rubble in depth.

They will also use drones, which could be key to finding potential survivors and assessing structural risks before human intervention. "This is all the equipment we can take. Our absolute priority is to get to work immediately to locate people alive and rescue them," Parada said.

Reaching ground zero will not be easy. The geopolitical situation and the state of the infrastructure further complicate the mission. "Caracas is closed to commercial flights," Parada said. Because of this, the Malaga team will depart for Bogotá, Colombia, between 1.45pm and 4pm on Friday.

Once in the Colombian capital, the provincial fire department management channels, in constant coordination with the emergency management on the ground, will determine the exact point of entry into Venezuela and the areas for tracking.

Experts agree that the chances of survival decrease drastically as the days go by. "The chances of finding people alive are highest in the first 72 hours. After that, unfortunately, the percentage begins to decline. That's why we want to arrive and start working immediately," Parada stated.

What drives these Malaga firefighters to risk their lives thousands of kilometres from home is pure vocation.

"Our guiding principle is to help, whether it's after tragic events like this or in the lighter, everyday tasks in our area. Knowing that without the work of all our colleagues a person could lose their life... this is what fulfills us," Parada said.