Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - A 4.6 magnitude aftershock shook Caracas and La Guaira on Monday, adding fresh anxiety as Venezuela continued rescue operations after last week’s devastating twin earthquakes. Officials said there was no immediate report of new damage, but the tremor rattled a country already reeling from a death toll that has risen to 1,719.

The aftershock struck nearly five days after the back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes that flattened buildings across northern Venezuela and left thousands still missing. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly, said 5,034 people have been injured and 15,866 are homeless, while the government and international teams continue searching through rubble for survivors. The United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator said more than 500 aftershocks have been recorded and at least 2,500 structures were impacted, with many completely collapsed.

Rescue work is now centered on La Guaira, the hardest-hit area, where access remains restricted and more than 14,000 military and police personnel have been deployed to secure the zone. Teams from around the world have brought search dogs and heavy machinery, but officials say the critical rescue window is closing and miracle saves are becoming rare. At the same time, hospitals in Caracas remain overwhelmed and residents are still coping with power cuts, damaged homes and fear of more tremors.

The latest aftershock has reinforced how fragile the situation remains in Venezuela, even as the immediate rescue phase gives way to a longer humanitarian emergency. With thousands still unaccounted for and aftershocks continuing, authorities face mounting pressure to keep lifesaving operations going.