The United States said Thursday it was deploying two warships, transport planes and helicopters and mobilizing $150 million in aid to assist earthquake-hit Venezuela.
The aid push follows back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast on Wednesday, collapsing buildings, damaging the country’s main airport and prompting warnings of heavy casualties. At least 188 people have died.
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The US military’s Southern Command said in a statement that its forces would provide support for search and rescue teams and “US interagency partners as they assess damage, locate the injured, and deliver critical, life-saving assistance.”
The forces to be deployed include the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) as well as C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
