Leaders of the Ministry of National Defence present flowers to congratulate the delegation. — VNA/VNS Photos An Đặng

HÀ NỘI — A flight carrying Vietnamese search-and-rescue personnel from the People's Army and the People's Public Security forces landed at Nội Bài International Airport in the early hours of July 11, completing a humanitarian mission to Venezuela following the earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Hiền, Deputy Minister of National Defence, and Senior Lieutenant General Lê Văn Tuyến, Deputy Minister of Public Security, were among those who welcomed the delegation at the airport. Joy and pride were visible on the faces of the returnees as the entire force and all equipment arrived safely, greeted with embraces, flowers and words of solidarity.

The delegation comprised 124 members drawn from the armed forces and public security services, led by Major General Phạm Văn Tỵ, deputy director of the Search and Rescue Department under the General Staff, with Colonel Phạm Hùng Dương, deputy director of the Police Department for Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting, Rescue and Relief, as his deputy.

It was the third time Việt Nam had dispatched forces and equipment abroad for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, with many members having previously supported Türkiye and Myanmar after earthquakes in 2023 and 2025.

Leaders of the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security welcome the Vietnamese rescue and relief team.

Working at the epicentre

Upon arriving in Venezuela on June 29, the delegation was assigned to the Playa Grande ward of the Catia La Mar district, La Guaira state – the worst-hit area, where numerous multi-storey buildings on hillside slopes had collapsed following the double earthquake. The team immediately handed over 50.6 tonnes of relief supplies, including dried rations, instant noodles, canned meat and medicines.

From June 29 to July 6, the delegation worked from 6am to 8pm each day, with some days extending through the night, ready to respond at any hour regardless of weather. It located and handed over 57 victims' remains to families and local authorities; used service dogs and specialist equipment to identify 46 further locations containing victims, from which local forces recovered another 38 sets of remains; and established a field medical station providing examinations and medicine to 132 civilians and rescue personnel from various countries.

The delegation also co-ordinated searches for three cases in which victims were suspected to still be alive in the rubble. Although no survivors were found, its commitment made a strong impression on local authorities and residents.

Phạm Văn Tỵ, who has now commanded three overseas humanitarian missions, described Venezuela as the most demanding of the three. In the heat, many remains buried beneath the rubble had begun to decompose rapidly.

Team members initially wore three face masks each and applied medicated oil before entering collapsed structures for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, then rotating with colleagues. They also faced a constant risk from aftershocks inside collapsed high-rise buildings. Despite the hazards, the delegation – divided into six to eight teams – maintained a continuous presence at the site across all ten days.

"I told my colleagues that working for the people of our friend nation is the same as working for our own people, for our own loved ones, and that we stand ready to do so. It was the warmth of the local people that reinforced our sense of responsibility and kept everyone going to complete the mission," Tỵ said.

What stayed with him most was the shift in local sentiment. Many Venezuelans had initially doubted the force could operate effectively in areas some earlier international teams had judged too difficult to access. Yet as each victim's remains were recovered and handed over, the visible emotion of local people gave the officers and soldiers renewed motivation.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng presents the Second and Third Class Order of National Defence to groups with outstanding achievements in assisting Venezuela in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

What remained after the mission

Beyond the search-and-rescue work, the delegation set aside a portion of its own rations to support three of the worst-damaged residential areas, conducted free medical consultations, distributed medicine and gifts, and helped residents transport belongings. Before departing, it handed over all remaining serviceable equipment and supplies – including the specialised tents used during the mission, which became temporary shelter for displaced residents.

For Captain Khuất Cao Khánh of Military Hospital 105, one lasting memory was a photo album belonging to a Venezuelan family that he came across while working. Leafing through its pages, he saw a child's growth from before birth to the age of four or five, and hoped the album would find its way back to its owners.

The military working dog unit, from Intermediate School No. 24 under the Border Guard Command, comprised ten personnel and eight dogs. Lieutenant Colonel Trần Quốc Hương, head of the school's Scent Discrimination Faculty, said the unit had received high praise from Venezuela's acting president, but that this was no reason for complacency.

"Search-and-rescue work is not only about saving lives – each officer and soldier is also an ambassador, bearing the colours of the Việt Nam People's Army. Every word, every action, every gesture must be to the highest standard," Hương said.

He said he would advise commanders to continue raising professional capacity, particularly foreign language proficiency, alongside investment in training facilities and working dog training under diverse conditions.

Recognition

Venezuela dispatched Senior Lieutenant General Lockiby Benmontes, Commander-in-Chief of its Militia Forces, to visit the site and thank the delegation, saying Việt Nam's actions demonstrated sincere solidarity and friendship with the Venezuelan people. Venezuela awarded the first-class "Hero of Venezuela" Medal to the collective, the second-class medal to all 124 members, and the "Meritorious Service" Order to the service dog unit.

General Phan Văn Giang, deputy prime minister and minister of National Defence, and General Lương Tam Quang, minister of Public Security, sent letters of commendation to those who took part. A ceremony to honour the delegation took place in Hà Nội on the morning of July 11, attended by Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng. — VNS