Another earthquake of 4.9 magnitude rocks Venezuela, death toll crosses 900; search ops underway | Top updates

Roughly two days after Venezuela was rocked by twin powerful earthquakes that left more than 900 people dead, another earthquake struck off the country's northern coast on Friday afternoon (local time).

Reuters reported that witnesses in Caracas and Maracay felt the quake, which the earthquake monitor EMSC said had a magnitude of 4.9.

The third earthquake comes at a time when Venezuela was already reeling under twin powerful earthquakes that rocked the country on Wednesday, killing at least 920 and injuring another 3,360, according to officials, who believe the death toll could be higher. News agency AP reported that thousands are still missing.

Here's what we know about the search and rescue operation

1. On Friday, Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands in the aftermath of twin powerful earthquakes, and cited the lack of government rescuers as officials believed that over 51,000 were still missing. Citizens digging through the rubble of their homes to look for their loved ones said they have seen few state rescue teams in the areas that were hit hardest by the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes, despite authorities projecting an image of a robust government response.

2. According to the International Organization for Migration, up to 6.76 million people in Venezuela could be impacted by the quakes, with roughly two million of them in the capital alone. Destruction was amplified by the one-two punch of the successive shallow quakes, experts said. Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’ regional director for the Americas, said: “People are still terrified to reenter what were their homes.”

3. Venezuelan authorities on Friday said that as many as 861 international volunteers from Mexico, the US, El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia, and beyond were in the country to carry out rescue operations, and many more from other countries were expected to arrive in the coming hours and days. The United Nations (UN) said that at least 1,000 emergency responders, 25 search-and-rescue teams from across the globe, were on their way.

4. Two of the US military ships that were used in a blockade to pressure Nicolás Maduro have headed back toward Venezuela with rescue teams, equipment, and medical aid after devastating earthquakes. On Friday, the USS Fort Lauderdale and USS Billings arrived near Venezuelan waters to mobilize search-and-rescue teams helping thousands of people affected by the natural disaster, Bloomberg reported. Washington's response is a major part of an outpouring of resources from countries around the world to help Caracas, which has limited ability to contend with a disaster of such a scale after facing years of sanctions and economic mismanagement.

Washington has deployed over 250 personnel, including three specialized urban search-and-rescue teams equipped with search dogs, structural engineers, physicians, and paramedics to help locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings, the State Department said in a statement Friday.

5. The twin earthquakes hit a country already grappling with years of economic and political instability that have pushed many people into poverty, prompted millions to leave the country, and eroded critical infrastructure, Reuters reported. The disaster presents another major test for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed office in January following Washington's capture of Maduro. Venezuela has endured a prolonged economic crisis for more than a decade, and many citizens continue to question the legitimacy of the political movement led by Rodríguez.

(with agency inputs)