The leader of Topos Chile, a volunteer rescue organisation, has accused Venezuelan soldiers of repeatedly obstructing his team's work in La Guaira (a coastal state near Caracas), the area worst affected by twin magnitude-7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on 24 June that have killed at least 1,943 people. Francisco Lermanda said soldiers demanded identity documents from his 46 rescuers on suspicion of espionage, blocked re-entry to work sites, and at one point confiscated a phone being used for a medical video call during the rescue of a teenager with crush syndrome. Venezuelan authorities have not responded to the allegations, while Chile's government distanced itself from the claims, noting that Topos Chile operates independently of the official Chilean delegation working alongside Venezuelan teams.