New Delhi, June 30 -- Venezuela's earthquake death toll climbed to nearly 1,500 on Monday (June 29) as rescue workers raced against time to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings, even as a fresh 4.6-magnitude aftershock shook the capital Caracas and surrounding areas.

The aftershock, which struck north of Caracas at a depth of 10 km, caused panic among residents but no immediate damage was reported, according to the country's National Assembly.

The twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela's Caribbean coast last Wednesday have devastated the northern state of La Guaira, flattening hundreds of buildings and triggering one of the country's deadliest natural disasters in decades.

Rescue operations entered their fi...