Over 58,000 buildings likely damaged or destroyed in Venezuela: Satellite data

More than 58,000 buildings across Venezuela were likely damaged or destroyed following the twin earthquakes that struck the country last week, according to a preliminary assessment of satellite data released by the US space agency NASA.

The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, were the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century. They killed around 1,700 people, while thousands are still missing.

“Approximately 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed across the affected region” based on satellite radar data collected on June 25, a day after the earthquakes, researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University said.

The assessment was based on data from the European Space Agency’s high-resolution Sentinel-1 radar imagery satellite.

“This is a preliminary, rapid assessment. It reflects abrupt surface change consistent with damage,” the researchers wrote, adding that the estimate should be treated only as an indicator because it has not been verified on the ground.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Monday that 855 buildings had been damaged, including 189 “total collapses.”

NASA said its satellites were “providing critical support, capturing imagery and data to help teams on the ground assess impacts and guide response efforts.”