Quake-hit Venezuela restores metro, rail services
Caracas, July 3
Venezuela's Transport Ministry confirmed that the mass-transit rail service in the city of Los Teques has resumed operations, making it the last transit system to return to service following the earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
The Los Teques Metro, which connects the capital of Miranda state with Caracas, underwent evaluations and inspections before resuming operations after services were suspended following the quakes, the ministry said on its Instagram account.
The ministry also said that the railway system connecting Caracas with the Valles del Tuy region in Miranda state, and the Valencia Metro serving Venezuela's third most populous city, are also operating normally, Xinhua news agency reported.
The powerful earthquakes caused severe damage to road infrastructure in the north-central state of La Guaira, and less extensive damage in Caracas and other states in Venezuela's central region.
Jordan, in cooperation with Qatar, on Thursday dispatched humanitarian, medical and food aid to Venezuela to support relief efforts following twin earthquakes that struck the country, the Jordanian Armed Forces said in a statement.
Under directives from King Abdullah II, a Qatari C-17 military transport aircraft departed from Amman for the Venezuelan capital of Caracas carrying 26 tonnes of specialized medical supplies for treating injuries, as well as medical consumables, equipment, essential food items and food parcels, according to the statement.
The shipment also included equipment for the Jordan International Search and Rescue Team, affiliated with the Public Security Directorate, which began rescue and relief operations in Venezuela earlier this week.
Another Qatari aircraft carrying a similar cargo of humanitarian, medical and food assistance is scheduled to depart from Amman on Friday, the statement said.
Two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 struck north of Caracas last week. Authorities said Wednesday that the death toll had risen to 2,295, with tens of thousands still missing.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see international cooperation - Jordan and Qatar are stepping up. But 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude quakes? That's massive. Reminds me of the Nepal earthquake in 2015. Infrastructure like metros need rigorous checks, glad they're being careful.
Impressive that Venezuela is getting things back on track despite the chaos. The death toll is staggering though - 2,295 is a lot for a country that's already struggling economically. Hope the aid reaches the right people.
Venezuela's in deep trouble already, and now this. The media talks about metro restoration, but what about the tens of thousands missing? That's the real crisis. Hope the world doesn't forget them after the headlines fade. 😔
This is a disaster of epic proportions. Restoring metro service is a small step, but the real work is rescue and rebuilding. Kudos to King Abdullah for sending aid - shows how nations can come together in times of need.
Heartbreaking news. 😢 The Venezuelan people have been suffering through economic collapse, and now this. The fact that the metro is running again is a small win, but they need massive international support. India must step up - we can send medicines and rescue teams.
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