Days after twin earthquakes jolted Venezuela, killing nearly 1000 people, a new quake struck off the northern coast of the country on Friday afternoon.
The tremor was felt in Caracas and Maracay, according
to Reuters witnesses. The earthquake monitoring agency EMSC measured the quake at magnitude 4.9.
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that devastated Venezuela has risen to at least 920, with authorities reporting 3,360 people injured as rescue operations continue in search of survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.
President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, announced the updated figures on Friday. The latest toll marks a sharp increase from the previous official count of 589 deaths. Authorities also said around 50,000 people remain missing, fuelling concerns that the number of fatalities could climb further.
The disaster unfolded on Wednesday when two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck within seconds of each other. The twin tremors were the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
La Guaira, Caracas and several northern coastal states suffered the worst destruction, with hundreds of buildings collapsing and critical infrastructure sustaining extensive damage.
International aid has started reaching Venezuela, with assistance arriving from the United States, India, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Colombia. The support includes medical personnel, search-and-rescue teams, sniffer dogs, emergency relief supplies and field hospitals as the country grapples with one of the worst natural disasters in its modern history.
