A devastating double earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, triggering an international emergency response. Among the foreign rescue teams deploying to the affected areas is Greece’s elite Thessaloniki-based Special Missions Unit (EPOMEA), which is preparing to travel to Caracas via Istanbul.
Greek Team of 15 Volunteers to Deploy with Advanced Equipment
At least 15 Greek volunteers — equipped with drones fitted with thermal cameras and sonar devices — will join search-and-rescue operations in the rubble across Venezuela. Before departure, the team will stop in Istanbul for mandatory vaccinations and medical checks.
Coordinated International Effort
Miltos Benakis, president of EPOMEA, told Greece’s public broadcaster ERT that the Greek team will operate alongside Serbian and Turkish rescuers at locations designated by local authorities.
Casualties Continue to Rise
Venezuela’s parliamentary president, Jorge Rodríguez, announced today that the death toll has risen to 1,430. Rodríguez — brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez — also reported 3,238 injured and 3,100 displaced people, speaking on state television. The previous official count stood at 920 fatalities.
More than 430 aftershocks have been recorded since the two major quakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale — hit the country. Over 70,000 families have received emergency assistance from Venezuelan authorities since the disaster.
Three days after the earthquakes, the fate of tens of thousands of Venezuelans remains uncertain.