Police officers arrested for theft in earthquake-affected areas of La Guaira
Four uniformed officers were taken into custody after being discovered stealing goods from the ruins left by earthquakes in La Guaira state, Venezuela.
Police officers arrested for theft in earthquake-affected areas of La Guaira
On Tuesday, Venezuelan authorities announced the arrest of four members of the security forces, accused of taking material resources from among the remains of buildings that collapsed due to seismic movements in La Guaira, the state hardest hit by tremors from last week.
Footage captured the precise moment when one of the officers was discovered taking cash from the wreckage of a collapsed structure. The release of the images prompted an immediate response from the authorities responsible for oversight.
La Guaira has become the zone most affected by the tragedy. Official figures indicate 1,450 deaths, 3,150 injured, 12,721 families left homeless and 774 buildings damaged or destroyed.
Rescue operations continue. More than two thousand six hundred foreign rescue workers are collaborating with local personnel and canine units in the search for people alive beneath the rubble. The morgues at medical facilities in the area are overwhelmed, so the port of La Guaira is functioning as a temporary morgue, from where identified bodies are sent to the capital.
Jorge Rodríguez, head of Parliament, indicated that there are no reports of additional damage in other regions of the country.
Amid relief efforts, an armed confrontation also occurred which left several people injured. Three individuals were arrested in connection with the incident; it is presumed that one of them fired the shots. Initial investigations suggest that the altercation arose from a dispute linked to custody of a minor.
Information from ORAIN
Source: Google News VE — Crime