Strong Aftershock Jolts Venezuela After Deadly Quakes

A strong aftershock jolted Venezuela following last week’s devastating earthquakes, as rescue teams raced to find survivors with time running out. Tens of thousands remain missing after the twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela last week.

The United States Geological Survey said Monday’s 4.6-magnitude aftershock was at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), with the epicenter north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.

Residents of Caracas woke up on Monday to an aftershock that shook their homes, while rescue teams continued their fourth day of round-the-clock work in the areas affected by last week’s powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.

International and local rescue efforts have been racing against time and focusing on the northern port city of La Guaira, the hardest-hit area of the country, which is mired in a long-running political and economic crisis.

The back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit northwestern Venezuela last Wednesday have left close to 1,500 people confirmed dead and hundreds of buildings collapsed, with tens of thousands believed to be still missing.

The search for survivors involves 30,000 Venezuelan rescue workers and 2,700 foreign experts. The critical 72-hour window for rescuing trapped victims after a natural disaster passed on Saturday evening. However, a handful of rescues on Sunday offered glimmers of hope. Survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.

Jorge Rodriguez, the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of additional damage.