Deadly Earthquakes in Venezuela and a Century of Disasters in Latin America
Quick Look
- Venezuela was struck by deadly back-to-back earthquakes, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries, and leaving tens of thousands missing, with rescuers actively searching.
- This event adds to a grim history of major seismic activity across South and Central America over the past century, including devastating quakes in Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and other nations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Venezuela was struck by rare, deadly back-to-back earthquakes, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries, and tens of thousands of people reported missing.
Venezuela was struck by rare, deadly back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday, leaving hundreds dead or injured.
Rescuers are combing the rubble, searching for tens of thousands of people who have been reported missing after the disaster.
Here are some of the deadliest earthquakes in South and Central America in the past century.
September 2017 — Mexico: An 8.1 earthquake and a 7.1 earthquake hit Mexico within about a week, devastating southern and central Mexico, including Mexico City, and killing nearly 500 people.
April 16, 2016 — Ecuador: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck coastal provinces, flattening towns and killing more than 650 people.
Feb. 27, 2010 — Chile: A magnitude 8.8 earthquake shook central Chile, rattling the capital for about a minute and a half and triggering a tsunami. 523 people were killed.
Aug. 15, 2007 — Peru: A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck near the central coast, killing more than 500 people.
January and February 2001 — El Salvador: A 7.7 earthquake off El Salvador's coast on Jan. 13, 2001, and a 6.6 earthquake a month later — and the ensuing landslides — killed 1,200 people or more.
Jan. 25, 1999 — Western Colombia: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake devastated the city of Armenia, killing about 1,170 people.
April 22, 1991 — Costa Rica: A magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed more than 80 people in Costa Rica and Panama. About 30,000 people were cut off from food, water and medical supplies for days.
Sept. 19, 1985 — Central Mexico: A magnitude 8.1 earthquake killed about 12,000 people, though the true toll remains unknown.
Feb. 4, 1976 — Western Guatemala: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake killed more than 22,700 people.
Dec. 23, 1972 — Nicaragua: A magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 6,000 people, with some estimates as high as 9,000.
May 31, 1970 — Northern Peru: A magnitude 7.9 earthquake killed more than 66,000 people.
May 22, 1960 — Chile: A magnitude 9.5 earthquake, known as the Valdivia or Great Chilean earthquake, was the largest earthquake ever recorded. It killed more than 1,655 people, many in a tsunami, and left 2 million homeless.
Aug. 5, 1949 — Ecuador: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake killed about 5,050 people.
Jan. 24, 1939 — Chile: A magnitude 8.3 earthquake killed about 28,000 people in Chillan, with some estimates closer to 30,000.
Open Questions
- What is the exact number of dead and injured?
- How many people are still missing?
- What is the full extent of the damage?
