Venezuela continues to deal with the consequences of the violent earthquake that hit the country on June 24. In the last few hours, a new earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded in the central-northern part of the country, fueling concern in the areas already hard hit by the two previous strong seismic events, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which caused over 920 victims and displaced thousands.
According to findings by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the new earthquake was identified approximately 44 kilometers north of Maracay, in the state of Aragua, at a depth of 4.6 kilometers. The earthquake was felt in several regions, including Aragua, Carabobo, Miranda, La Guaira and in the area of the capital Caracas. Venezuelan seismological authorities have also reported numerous events of lower intensity in the same areas.
In the meantime, search and rescue operations continue. The Venezuelan authorities are evaluating further access restrictions in the state of La Guaira, one of the areas most devastated by the earthquake, inviting the population to avoid unnecessary travel to the locations affected by the emergency.
Among the confirmed victims is also Francesca Mannina, an Italian-Venezuelan originally from a family who emigrated from Balestrate, in the Palermo area. The woman was missing after the earthquake and was found lifeless. In the previous hours, however, his companion had been rescued and pulled alive from the rubble.
This brings the number of Italian or Italian-origin victims confirmed in the disaster to at least three. Among these also Giuseppe Colaianni, 55 years old, originally from Calascibetta, in the province of Enna, who apparently lost his life after managing to save his wife during the collapse of the house.
The toll of the tragedy remains provisional and emergency teams continue to work tirelessly in the most affected areas, while fears grow that the number of victims may further increase.
