Operation Amistad: India's field hospital opens in Caracas as Venezuela earthquake toll hits 1,450
The Indian Army field hospital deployed to earthquake ravaged Venezuela under Operation Amistad became fully operational on Monday, providing free round the clock medical services at the International La Rinconada Racetrack in Caracas, marking a shift from delivery to active relief as the human cost of the disaster continues to mount.
The death toll from the twin earthquakes has risen to at least 1,450 , with tens of thousands more unaccounted for, amid growing criticism of the Venezuelan government's response and limited access to heavy equipment in the hardest hit state of La Guaira . The scale of the missing remains deeply contested: an independent tracking website puts the figure at over 68,900 , while the government claims the number is in the hundreds. The UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs has said more than 50,000 people remain missing. The USGS has warned the final toll could far exceed current confirmed figures, placing a 44 per cent probability on casualties eventually climbing between 10,000 and 1,00,000 .
The twin earthquakes, a 7.2 magnitude foreshock followed just 39 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude mainshock, struck the San Felipe area of Yaracuy state on June 24 , causing widespread devastation across La Guaira and Caracas . The mainshock was the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900 .
India's response was swift. Under Operation Amistad , two IAF C 17 Globemaster III aircraft departed New Delhi on June 26 carrying an Indian Army field hospital unit , over 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines, medical equipment, and a 41 member rescue and medical team. The consignment also included two BHISHM Cube portable hospitals, Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri , mobile units designed specifically for emergency medical care in disaster zones. The aircraft completed a gruelling 23 hour flight covering over 14,000 km , landing at Maiquetía International Airport in Caracas with 66 tonnes of aid in total.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the arrival of supplies on Sunday, and MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday that Operation Amistad was fully "underway," with Indian Army doctors actively treating the injured. Venezuelan Vice Health Minister and the head of the Government of the Capital District both visited the Indian field hospital, signalling official acknowledgment of New Delhi's contribution.
The broader international rescue effort has yielded some moments of hope amid the devastation, including the rescue of an 11 month old infant and a woman who survived over three days trapped in the rubble. Countries around the world have dispatched 2,624 rescue workers and 137 search dogs , while China announced an additional $14.7 million in emergency humanitarian aid. However, the critical 72 hour window for finding survivors alive has now passed, and hopes of further rescues are fading even as more international teams arrive.