Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone

Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone 0 seconds of 1 minute, 3 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Rubio comments on US assistance for Venezuela after powerful quakes, meetings with Gulf countries 01:00 00:00 01:03 01:03 More Videos 01:00 Rubio comments on US assistance for Venezuela after powerful quakes, meetings with Gulf countries 01:33 How personal grief inspired Angelina Jolie's latest role 00:49 Walton Goggins on bringing 'Fallout' production back to Los Angeles 01:01 AP top stories June 25 01:59 Hayley Kiyoko on taking 'Girls Like Girls' from song to novel to film — and finding herself along the way 01:20 Incumbent who led Trump impeachment faces Mamdani-backed challenger in NY Democratic primary 00:58 AP Top Stories June 25 01:11 Morocco and Haiti fans celebrate together the outcome of their World Cup game Close 1 of 6 | A strong aftershock jolted Venezuela early Monday following last week’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes, as civilians and emergency responders kept combing through the ruins of fallen buildings for survivors. The aftershock, which struck about 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast at 7:01 a.m. local time, measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey. Colombia’s geological survey put the magnitude at 5.1. 2 of 6 | Residents watch rescuers’ efforts to reach survivors beneath the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, early Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) 3 of 6 | Volunteer Jean Sosa, who joined rescue teams searching for earthquake survivors, explains what he saw after going under the rubble of a building where rescuers are trying to reach trapped people in La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) 4 of 6 | Rescue workers search through the rubble of a building that collapsed when earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) 5 of 6 | Residents and rescuers searching for survivors run as an aftershock shakes the area five days after back-to-back earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) 6 of 6 | A rescuer carries a girl pulled from the rubble four days after twin earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey) By JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ and ISABEL DEBRE Updated 6:43 PM MESZ, June 29, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit La Guaira, Venezuela (AP) — With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira. Five days have passed since the twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, killing more than 1,450 people, according to the government. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Residents watch rescuers’ efforts to reach survivors beneath the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, early Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Families kept vigil at search sites in hard-hit La Guaira, where local and international rescue teams battled exhaustion and the grim knowledge that the chances of finding life were rapidly diminishing. Ana Rada watched intently as civil defense workers searched the rubble of a collapsed apartment for her missing brother. “We have to stay strong, even without food, without sleep,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Until I see the body, I still have hope.” Professor known for ‘torture memos’ will advise conspiracy probe focused on perceived Trump foes 2 MIN READ Supreme Court rules constitutional privacy protections apply to cellphone users location history 2 MIN READ Israeli troops face resistance in southern Syrian town of Abdin 4 MIN READ aftershock rattles rescuers The aftershock, which struck about 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, measured 4.6 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey. Colombia’s geological survey put the magnitude at 5.1. Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of additional damage, but the aftershock sent residents in the capital of Caracas screaming into the streets. undefined AP AUDIO: Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on an aftershock in Venezuela five days after twin powerful earthquakes rocked the north of the country. “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, who evacuated her apartment building in the Chacao municipality of Caracas. One of the rescuers working Monday in La Guaira was miner Jean Sosa, who said he was deported from the United States in January over a missed immigration court hearing and arrived in Caracas last month, dazed by an odyssey that he said began in shackles at an Arizona immigration detention center. The journey involved traveling by bus through five countries after immigration agents left him in southern Mexico without his passport, phone or wallet. Volunteer Jean Sosa, who joined rescue teams searching for earthquake survivors, explains what he saw after going under the rubble of a building where rescuers are trying to reach trapped people in La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Sosa, 31, was checking on some family friends in La Guaira when the earthquakes hit Wednesday. For days, he raced to pull people from the rubble in the absence of national rescue teams. “I’m not involved in politics, but I believe many people could have been saved if there had been equipment and support from top authorities from the very beginning,” he told The Associated Press, wearing a helmet and a black T-shirt splotched with dust in the port city where he said he had already rescued 20 people alive. Those rescues heartened him, he said, and gave him hope for more despite a dire lack of supplies. “We’re working without gloves, without equipment, borrowing supplies, improvising bandages and whatever else we can,” he said. “But we’re still here, still fighting.” Government and UN offer vastly different numbers of people affected Jorge Rodríguez, who is the brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, said that as of Monday, a total of 12,721 people had been affected, while the number of damaged or collapsed buildings had reached 774. The United Nations, however, has said that up to 6.8 million of Venezuela’s nearly 30 million residents may be affected by the earthquakes, which could mean being displaced or losing access to essential services such as electricity and water. Rescue workers search through the rubble of a building that collapsed when earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Because of the chaos and poor cellphone service, many Venezuelans have turned to non-governmental digital databases to report their loved ones as missing. More than 50,000 people were reported missing on one such database, though it is unclear how many have been found. Rodríguez, faced with growing anger over a response criticized as slow and inadequate, sought to reassure the population that rescue efforts were far from finished, even though the 72-hour mark had passed. She shared footage on social media Monday of first responders lifting Aaron Levi Cantillo, 21, out of the ruins on a stretcher to applause after what she said was a grueling 43-hour operation. A rescuer carries a girl pulled from the rubble four days after twin earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey) ___ DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writers Jorge Rueda and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ Arraez is a Venezuelan video journalist working for The Associated Press since 2018. twitter mailto ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto