A magnitude 4.6 aftershock struck northern Venezuela early Monday, sending frightened residents fleeing into the streets. The tremor came five days after twin earthquakes devastated the region.
The United States Geological Survey recorded the aftershock at magnitude 4.6, shaking the capital Caracas and the damaged port city of La Guaira.
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Colombia's geological survey measured it at 5.1.
The initial earthquakes, of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, killed at least 1,450 people and left tens of thousands missing.
Jorge Rodríguez, leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said there were no immediate reports of fresh damage, but the tremor caused widespread panic.
"I was asleep when the shaking woke me up.
It felt almost as strong as Wednesday's earthquake," said Amarelis Mendoza, a resident of El Hatillo in Caracas.
In heavily affected areas of Caracas, including Altamira and San Bernardino, residents fled makeshift shelters, sidewalk tents, and outdoor areas where they had been sleeping out of fear of building collapses.
Local authorities shut down several Caracas metro lines due to infrastructural concerns.
Search operations at the collapsed 22-unit Rita apartment building in San Bernardino were halted for 90 minutes.
While some businesses began to reopen, hundreds of displaced families continued to seek refuge in public squares and parks, including the 200-acre Parque del Este.
"Life is worth more than anything else," said 35-year-old Katiuska Asuaje, who fled her home in the La Cruz sector of Bello Campo with four children.
