Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Trường Thắng meets Estela Del Valle Quijada Suarez, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Venezuelan Embassy in Việt Nam. — Photos qdnd.vn

HÀ NỘI — A joint delegation of the Việt Nam People’s Army and the People’s Public Security have departed Sunday night from Hà Nội heading to Venezuela to support post-earthquake recovery efforts.

The team have left Việt Nam after a 11:30pm send-off at Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội.

Attending the ceremony were Lieutenant General Lê Văn Hướng, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People's Army and Senior Lieutenant General Lê Văn Tuyến, a member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security.

Senior Lt Gen Thắng encourages service members before deployment.

Speaking at the event, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Trường Thắng, Party Central Committee member and Deputy Minister of National Defence, praised the unit’s rapid readiness and urged close coordination with Vietnamese police, Venezuelan authorities and other international forces. He said he was confident the team would fulfill its mission and showcase the Việt Nam People’s Army’s capabilities abroad.

A search-and-rescue K9 unit with service dogs from Border Guard Command’s Intermediate School 24 joins the mission.

Earlier, Senior Lt Gen Thắng received Estela Del Valle Quijada Suarez, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Venezuelan Embassy in Việt Nam. She thanked Việt Nam for the deployment and voiced confidence the force would perform well in Venezuela.

At the send-off for the public security team, Deputy Minister of Public Security Lê Văn Tuyến commended the team's readiness and sense of duty, describing the mission as a demonstration of Việt Nam's humanitarian spirit and solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

He expressed confidence that the team would successfully fulfil its assignment and urged members to work closely with Venezuelan and international rescue forces, prioritise safety, support one another and make every effort to locate survivors.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Lê Văn Tuyến bade farewell to the Vietnamese public security team heading to Venezuela on the earthquake mission. — Photo from the Ministry of Public Security

Tuyến also called on each officer to embody the spirit of "selflessly serving the country and the people", saying their efforts would not only save lives but also showcase Việt Nam's compassion and strengthen friendship between the two countries. He wished the team a safe and successful mission and a proud return home.

Contingent composition

The 82-member Vietnamese military contingent includes 26 officers and 56 professional servicemen, organised into four units.

The command and staff unit consists of 11 personnel and is headed by Major General Phạm Văn Tỵ as mission commander. The two deputy mission commanders are Major General Nguyễn Duy Minh and Colonel Mạc Đức Trọng. The command unit also includes officers from the Search and Rescue Department, the Department of Foreign Relations, the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Military Security Protection Department.

The engineering search-and-rescue team, drawn from the Engineer Corps of the Việt Nam People's Army, consists of 31 personnel and is equipped with victim detection systems for collapsed structures, hydraulic cutters and spreaders, lifting equipment, concrete cutting and drilling tools, and other specialised equipment.

The military medical team comprises 30 personnel and is fully equipped with medical equipment, medicines and supplies required for the mission. The team includes staff from Military Hospital 103, Military Hospital 354 and Military Hospital 105.

The search-and-rescue canine unit, from the Intermediate Border Guard School No. 24 under the Việt Nam Border Guard Command, consists of 10 personnel and eight search dogs.

The delegation also includes journalists from the People's Army Newspaper and the Military Radio and Television Centre.

The delegation is expected to transport approximately 88 tonnes of equipment and supplies, including both operational equipment and humanitarian assistance for Venezuela.

Under the current plan, personnel, vehicles, equipment and logistical supplies will be deployed from Nội Bài International Airport to Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport, located about 40km from Caracas, by commercial aircraft.

The contingent will then travel by road from Maiquetía Airport to Caracas, where the mission will be carried out, using vehicles arranged by the Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office in Venezuela in coordination with the host country. Once in Venezuela, the delegation will work closely with the Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office and the Venezuelan authorities to determine the specific operational areas.

Meanwhile, the public security contingent comprises highly trained personnel specialising in urban search and rescue operations, emergency medical care, communications, logistics and on-site command.

The Ministry of Public Security has also equipped the team with specialised rescue equipment, medical supplies, victim detection devices and other logistical necessities to ensure it can begin operations immediately upon arrival.— VNS