A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck northern Caracas and the La Guaira region of Venezuela on Monday, June 24 [1, 2].
The aftershock occurred while rescue operations were still active following a catastrophic double earthquake that hit the region earlier this month. The event creates additional instability for survivors and emergency crews working in ruins.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the tremor had a hypocenter depth of 10 km [1]. This event followed a series of massive quakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred four to five days prior [5, 6].
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, said no immediate damage was recorded as a result of the aftershock.
The death toll from the initial double earthquake continues to rise, though figures vary by source. Vistazo reported 1,450 deaths [4], while WIPR cited a higher figure of 1,719 deaths [3].
Emergency teams in the La Guaira zone and northern Caracas remained on high alert during the tremor. The region has been struggling to manage the scale of the disaster as the death toll climbs and recovery efforts proceed under the threat of further seismic activity.
“No se registraron daños inmediatos a causa de la réplica.”
The occurrence of a 4.6 magnitude aftershock shortly after two major quakes indicates a period of significant crustal adjustment. For Venezuela, this means that existing damaged structures remain at high risk of collapse, complicating the rescue of survivors and increasing the danger to first responders in the Caracas and La Guaira areas.
