CARACAS – A powerful aftershock has sent terrified residents fleeing into the streets of northern Venezuela, complicating a massive rescue operation just five days after twin earthquakes devastated the region. The disaster has already claimed at least 1,719 lives, injured more than 5,000, and triggered a severe humanitarian emergency with tens of thousands of people still missing.
The aftershock struck early Monday morning, rattling both the capital city of Caracas and the heavily impacted port city of La Guaira. The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor at a magnitude of 4.6, while Colombia’s geological survey recorded it as a stronger 5.1 magnitude event.
An Already Overwhelmed Response
The latest tremor brings intense psychological weight to a population already in shock. In La Guaira, rescue crews are working around the clock under extreme pressure, desperately trying to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings. In Caracas, mortuaries and hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis.
While National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez confirmed there were no immediate reports of new structural damage or casualties from Monday’s tremor, the sounding of earthquake sirens caused widespread panic.
Voice from the Ground
“I was asleep when the shaking woke me up. It felt almost as strong as Wednesday’s earthquake, even though I hadn’t felt the other aftershocks.”
— Amarelis Mendoza, Resident of El Hatillo, Caracas