Aftershock hits Caracas as rescue efforts enter critical hours in Venezuela


A person watches over mattresses outside a building that was deemed too damaged and whose residents were evacuated after deadly earthquakes struck the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 27, 2026. REUTERS/Fausto Torrealba

CARACAS, June 29 (Reuters) - Residents of Caracas woke up on Monday ⁠to an aftershock that rocked their houses, while rescue teams continued ‌their fourth day of round-the-clock work in the areas affected by last week's powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.

A 4.6-magnitude aftershock centered at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) hit north of ​the Venezuelan capital Caracas early on Monday, according ⁠to the U.S. Geological Survey.

No ⁠damage was immediately reported from the aftershock, the president of the National Assembly, ⁠Jorge ‌Rodriguez, said on social media.

Rescue efforts have been focusing particularly on La Guaira, the hardest-hit state of a country long mired ⁠in a deep political and economic crisis.

Wednesday's twin earthquakes ​have left close to ‌1,500 people confirmed dead and hundreds of collapsed buildings.

The international community ⁠has rallied ​to help Venezuela in the wake of the disaster. The country has received support from 24 countries, which have sent over 500 metric tons of supplies, more ⁠than 2,700 rescue and support personnel and about ​86 canine teams, according to Venezuelan authorities.

SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS CONTINUES

National and international rescue teams continued their efforts throughout the night, while the families of the missing ⁠remain hopeful that survivors will be found.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele shared the rescue of 21-year-old Aaron Levi in a collapsed building in the disaster-stricken state of La Guaira.

"This rescue was made possible thanks to the coordinated efforts ​of rescue teams from Venezuela, Mexico, and El ⁠Salvador," he said on X.

Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, also echoed Levi's story, ​explaining that he was pulled out after 106 ‌hours trapped under the rubble through ​a rescue operation that lasted 43 hours.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Louise Heavens and Mark Porter)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read