Strong aftershock rattles Venezuela as rescue workers race to find survivors

Earthquake-damaged homes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela (Pedro Mattey/AP)

A strong aftershock has jolted Venezuela following last week’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes, as civilians and emergency responders continue to comb through the ruins of fallen buildings for survivors.

The aftershock, which struck about 17 miles north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast at 7.01am local time, measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Colombia’s geological survey put the magnitude at 5.1.

Mexican Army rescue workers search for people (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of additional damage from the quake, which sent residents in the capital of Caracas screaming into the streets.

“Here we are again, back in the street. I don’t know when we’ll have a moment of true peace,” said Concepcion Hernandez, 51, who evacuated her apartment building in the Chacao municipality of Caracas.

Monday’s tremor also convulsed the hard-hit port city of La Guaira, where local and international rescue teams have been racing against time since the twin earthquakes struck the northern state five days ago.

The government has reported 1,450 dead from the quakes as it faces growing criticism from Venezuelans that its response is inadequate and overshadowed by civilian-led efforts to rescue people buried under collapsed buildings.

Thousands more have been reported missing.

Even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour, rescuers continued to free some survivors from debris, offering anguished families a sliver of hope.

A rescuer carries a girl pulled from the rubble four days after twin earthquakes struck La Guaira (Pedro Mattey/AP)

The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.

Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez said late on Sunday that even as the time threshold passed, the search for survivors would continue.

More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world had arrived with trained search dogs and machinery, the government said.