Lithuanian rescue team returns from Venezuela

A Lithuanian search and rescue team has returned from a two-week mission in Venezuela, where it conducted emergency operations following devastating earthquakes, the state news agency ELTA reports.

The team, part of the State Fire and Rescue Service’s Lithuanian Emergency Response Team (LERT), included 20 fire and rescue officers, two border guard dog handlers with service dogs, and two emergency medical technicians. They returned on Monday after 14 days of search and rescue work.

A separate medical team deployed alongside them is expected to return later this week.

During the mission, the team was visited by Venezuelan President Delcy Eloina Rodriguez Gomez, who awarded the rescuers the Order of Heroes in recognition of their efforts.

Lithuania initially dispatched 40 specialists—including civil protection, medical, and rescue personnel—equipped with around six tonnes of specialised gear. This included acoustic and seismic detectors, thermal imaging cameras, ground-penetrating radar, search cameras, and hydraulic and pneumatic rescue tools to locate and extract survivors from rubble.

Two Belgian search dogs, 4-year-old Ottalia and 6-year-old Harpija, stationed at the Vilnius and Pagėgiai border guard units, also assisted in the operations. Trained in locating missing persons, they are capable of detecting people trapped under debris.

Venezuela was struck by two major earthquakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude—on June 24, followed by over 1,000 aftershocks. The death toll has since risen to at least 4,490, according to Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly. Over 19,000 people were left homeless, with 108 shelters established. More than 850 buildings collapsed or were severely damaged, particularly in the coastal town of La Guaira near Caracas.