Another earthquake strikes Venezuela; 50,000 still missing

Another 4.9-magnitude earthquake has struck the northern coast of Venezuela following the devastating twin earthquakes that recently rocked the country. Residents of the capital, Caracas, and the city of Maracaibo told Reuters that they felt the latest tremor strongly. The earthquake occurred on Friday (June 26) afternoon, local time.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government has reported that nearly 50,000 people remain missing following the earlier twin earthquakes. The information was published on the country's official emergency management website.

On Wednesday evening, two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale struck less than a minute apart. The disaster has been recorded as the strongest to hit the region since 1900. The twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and surrounding areas, reducing large parts of the region to rubble. The death toll has now risen to nearly 1,000.

According to official figures, 920 people have been confirmed dead, while at least 3,360 others have been injured. Authorities also estimate that 172 people are still trapped alive beneath the rubble.

However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has warned that the final death toll could exceed 10,000, potentially making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in Latin America in the past century.

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that two Spanish nationals were killed in the disaster, while 80 other Spanish citizens remain unaccounted for.

Nearly two days after the catastrophe, international search-and-rescue teams and humanitarian aid have begun arriving in the affected areas. However, a severe shortage of heavy machinery needed for rescue operations has fueled frustration and anger among both local residents and emergency responders. Rescue workers from Venezuela and abroad are racing against time to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

After decades of political and economic instability, Venezuela's essential infrastructure and public services were already in a fragile state before the disaster. The country's prolonged economic crisis had previously forced millions of people to leave. Now, in the wake of the twin earthquakes, thousands more have been left homeless, further deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Source: Reuters, CBC