A strong aftershock rattled northern Venezuela early Monday, sending terrified residents racing onto the streets five days after twin earthquakes killed at least 1,450 people, left tens of thousands missing, and triggered a growing humanitarian emergency.
The United States Geological Survey measured the aftershock at a magnitude of 4.6, while Colombia’s geological survey put it at 5.1. The tremor shook the capital, Caracas, and the devastated port city of La Guaira, where rescue crews continue to search for survivors in the rubble.
Fresh panic in Caracas and La Guaira
Jorge Rodríguez, leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of new damage, but the trembling earth and sounding of quake sirens brought fresh panic. “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,” said Amarelis Mendoza, a resident of El Hatillo in Caracas.
In hardest-hit areas of the capital, including Altamira and San Bernardino, residents poured onto the streets from makeshift shelters. Many have been sleeping outside apartment buildings or in tents pitched along sidewalks, fearing further collapses. Several lines of the Caracas metro were shut down again over concerns that aftershocks could further damage weakened infrastructure.
Search operations suspended, humanitarian crisis deepens
In San Bernardino, search operations at the 22-unit Rita apartment building, which collapsed completely during last week’s earthquake, were suspended for about an hour and a half following Monday’s tremor. As the new week began, some businesses reopened, but the number of people seeking refuge in parks and public squares continues to grow.
Hundreds of displaced families have been camping out in Parque del Este, a 200-acre park in eastern Caracas. “Life is worth more than anything else,” said 35-year-old Katiuska Asuaje, who fled her home in the La Cruz sector of Bello Campo with four children. “We weren’t going to wait for the house to collapse on top of us because one of the concrete roof slabs had already come loose.”
Maryuri Pérez, 36, and Jaime Blanco, 40, had nowhere to return after their shack in west Caracas collapsed. “What we need most is a tent or at least a mattress to sleep on,” said Pérez. “Thank God the neighbours have been bringing us food, but we have nowhere to sleep.”
Rescue efforts continue amid dwindling hope
The aftershock came as local and international search teams continued to comb rubble for survivors of last Wednesday’s back-to-back quakes, which measured magnitude 7.2 and 7.5. The rescue of a man and his teenage son pulled alive from rubble in La Guaira state on Sunday offered brief optimism. “Today we have rescued people who are still alive and therefore these efforts will not be suspended,” said Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.
But chances of similar rescues are dwindling. A Salvadoran rescue worker who declined to give his name told Agence France-Presse: “At this point, they are probably dead bodies. Thanks to God maybe we can find people still alive.”
According to the government, which has faced criticism for its slow response, 3,150 people were injured and almost 800 buildings were badly damaged. Tens of thousands remain missing well after the critical 72-hour window for rescuing trapped victims. Millions lack sanitation and other basic necessities.
Looting and frustration in La Guaira
Outbreaks of looting hit La Guaira, near the country’s main international airport, where much of the city now lies in rubble. Pharmacies, supermarkets, and other businesses were ransacked, said residents, some of whom complained of slow and meagre post-quake aid. Authorities barred international journalists from entering collapse zones in La Guaira for 48 hours, citing security reasons.
Exasperation has boiled over in some areas. “The country needs you. Put down your weapon,” one man shouted to soldiers in the Tanaguarena area of La Guaira state, urging them to swap guns for picks and shovels.
International aid and response
Twenty-four nations have sent 521 tons of supplies, 86 units with dogs trained to locate people trapped beneath rubble, and more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel, according to officials. The UN migration agency said up to 6.76 million people could be affected, requiring shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare, and essential relief items.
Venezuela’s worst earthquakes in more than a century have compounded an existing economic collapse that has hollowed out hospitals and public services. The UN has put the bill for physical repairs at $6.7 billion (£5 billion), equivalent to six percent of Venezuela’s GDP. On Monday, the US announced it was doubling its aid package from $150 million to $300 million. “These funds will provide emergency medical care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and logistics,” the state department said.
Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, in exile, announced she would return “very soon.” “The time has come,” she told Fox News on Sunday. “We need to be together, to embrace, to grieve and mourn together, but also to give each other strength at this difficult time.”
