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An attack without clear answers

More than four months after the bombing of a primary school in Minab, Iran, there is no definitive official report. An Associated Press investigation reveals that most of the victims were children.

The campus was within a complex linked to the Revolutionary Guard. On February 28, staff asked parents to pick up their children because of the bombings. Minutes later, explosions destroyed the building.

Confirmed data

Human rights organizations estimate 157 identified deaths: 123 minors and 34 adults. Other sources raise the figure.

Testimonies describe scenes of devastation. Relatives and rescuers found bodies in the rubble. Hospitals received remains of numerous victims.

The investigation indicates that the US Army had indications that a school was hit. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the building had been identified as an educational center years ago, but that information was not properly shared among targeting teams.

The Pentagon maintains an open investigation. The families demand answers and an official count.

The lack of access to the area, Iranian restrictions and verification difficulties prevent the complete clarification of one of the most tragic attacks of the conflict.

The stench of decomposing bodies spread through the streets of La Guaira as rescue brigades moved from searching for survivors to recovering remains. However, unexpected news restored spirits to the international and local teams.

The rescue of Hernán Alberto Gil Flores

Venezuelan and foreign officials celebrated the discovery alive of a 43-year-old security guard, trapped for almost eight days under the rubble of a shopping center. Television cameras captured the emotional moment when he was extracted and placed on a stretcher, while the crowd burst into applause.

Hernán survived thanks to an air pocket and the food and water that the rescuers sent him through the cracks. It far exceeded the critical threshold of 72 hours, when experts consider it most likely to find people alive.

The other side of tragedy

In other areas of the state of La Guaira, the most affected, the outlook was bleak. The port city of Catia La Mar saw officials moving around carrying body bags and stacking coffins. Equipment with seismic sensors was removed without detecting signs of life.

The government of the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, reported at least 2,295 deaths and more than 11,000 injuries. His management has been criticized for its slowness and disorganization. Thousands of people sleep in shelters or outdoors, and doctors warn of a health crisis due to infections and untreated injuries.

Among the victims is Daniel Alejandro Núñez Ramírez, 28, deported from the United States hours before the earthquake. He had arrived on a flight with more than a hundred Venezuelans and was transferred to a hotel in La Guaira that his mother, Oswadeliz Núñez, described as a prison. Thirty minutes after a phone call, the building collapsed. His mother collected his ashes in a morgue.

“My son was not a criminal. Why do they treat people with no criminal record as criminals?” —Oswadeliz told The Associated Press.

Support from the United States

Washington supports Rodríguez and has allocated more than $300 million in assistance. John M. Barrett, US chargé d’affaires in Venezuela, assured that funds from Venezuelan oil production will be available for reconstruction. However, organizations such as the Washington Office on Latin American Affairs ask for transparency in the use of that money.

The government’s response remains under scrutiny, as the 180-day term of Rodríguez’s interim presidency expires.

Rescue in La Guaira

During search efforts after the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela, elements of the Mexican Army and the National Guard located a dog named “Sarita” alive. The discovery occurred in the Vargas municipality, La Guaira state, when a man was looking for his missing daughter. Upon hearing noises among the rubble, he alerted the uniformed officers.

The canine team made up of the national guard Tonantzin Arroyo Sarmiento and the rescue dog “Kai” located the animal. After cutting and removal work, Sergeant Julio César Castro Díaz managed to extract “Sarita” alive. The owner burst into tears when he met her again and expressed that this fact renewed his hope of finding his daughter.

The tasks continue in the area as part of the “Yumare” Humanitarian Aid Group.

Humanitarian support from Mexico

On Wednesday, a C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Mexican Air Force took off from Santa Lucía bound for Maiquetía, Venezuela. It transported medical and electronic supplies, as well as first aid material from the Mexican Red Cross and five electric power generating plants.

Since June 24, there have been five humanitarian aid flights with 240 members of the Army, including 151 rescuers, 60 doctors and health personnel, eight dog lovers from the Army and 10 from the National Guard, 11 from the Mexican Air Force. 13.1 tons of medicines have also been sent – 8.3 from Defense and 4.8 from IMSS-Wellbeing -, four tons of rescue equipment and eight generating plants.

The aid seeks to restore basic services and care for the population affected by the earthquakes that left thousands dead and injured.