Rescue efforts continue after earthquakes and aftershock rattle Venezuela

A strong aftershock jolted Venezuela early Monday, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, as rescue workers continued combing through rubble from last week's devastating earthquakes that killed at least 1,450 people and left thousands missing.

The aftershock struck about 27 kilometers north of Caraballeda on Venezuela's Caribbean coast at 7:01 a.m. local time. It sent residents in the capital of Caracas screaming into the streets, though authorities reported no immediate additional damage.

"Here we are again, back in the street. I don't know when we'll have a moment of true peace," said Concepción Hernández, 51, evacuating her apartment building in Caracas's Chacao municipality.

The hard-hit port city of La Guaira, where twin earthquakes struck the northern state five days earlier, continued to be the focus of rescue operations. Local and international rescue teams have been racing against time since the initial quakes, working past the critical first 48 to 72 hours when survival chances are highest. Even as odds diminished, rescuers continued pulling some survivors from debris, offering families fragments of hope.

More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world have arrived with trained search dogs and machinery, according to the government. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday that search operations would continue despite the time threshold passing. The government faces growing criticism that its response is inadequate, with civilian-led rescue efforts increasingly overshadowing official operations.