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Jun 25, 2026
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Venezuela earthquakes: Why is Central America so vulnerable to tremors?

AI Summary
Two powerful earthquakes have hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971. The Central American region is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes due to its location along a highly active tectonic zone.

The Devastating Earthquakes in Venezuela

Two powerful earthquakes have hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971 as dozens of buildings collapsed into piles of shattered concrete and steel in and around the capital, Caracas.

The Earthquakes' Impact on Venezuela

About 6:04pm (22:04 GMT) on Wednesday, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 quake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency, and the USGS warned that the death toll could rise.

Using predictive modelling to estimate the death toll, the USGS predicted deaths could reach into the thousands and said there is a substantial probability that they could exceed 10,000.

Venezuela's Vulnerability to Earthquakes

The country has a long history of devastating earthquakes because it is located along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.

In 1812, a powerful earthquake roiled the cities of Merida and Caracas, killing about 30,000 people, according to the USGS.

In 1967, another earthquake hit Caracas, causing several high-rise buildings to collapse and killing 240 people.

Why Central America is Prone to Earthquakes

The region, home to about 50 million people, is located at the junction of several tectonic plates. This includes a subduction zone where the Cocos Plate dives beneath the Caribbean Plate.

High numbers of people in Central America live in informal housing or in older, poorly constructed structures that are not designed to withstand strong shaking, making the region at high risk from quakes.

Central America's History of Earthquakes

  • In February 2010, a magnitude 8.7 quake hit central Chile's Maule region, south of Valparaiso, generating tsunami waves, killing more than 500 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
  • In September 2012, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In November that year, at least 52 people died when Guatemala experienced its biggest earthquake in more than three decades – at magnitude 7.4.
  • In June 2017, at least five people died in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck western Guatemala near the border with Mexico.
  • In January 2018, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit near the coast of Honduras. Shocks were felt across northern Central America, prompting tsunami warnings in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands.
  • In April 2022, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the western coast of Nicaragua.
  • Last year, an earthquake caused widespread damage in Guatemala.

Global Earthquake Hotspots

The most seismically active zone in the world, accounting for roughly 90 percent of the world's earthquakes, is the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.

The Ring of Fire includes Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the western Americas.