Is 2026 a particularly bad year for earthquakes? The number of extremely strong quakes so far this year is not, in fact, unusual. Over the long term, around the world, there are an average of about 15 earthquakes per year registering above magnitude 7 on the Richter scale. By mid-August this year, there had been 10. The devastation some of the quakes have wreaked has, however, been striking.
Venezuela: two quakes in just 39 seconds
On June 24, Venezuela was hit by an earthquake that proved to be by far the deadliest this year. A magnitude 7.2 quake was followed just 39 seconds later by an even stronger one of magnitude 7.5. The north of the country and the capital, Caracas, were the areas worst affected.Two earthquakes wreaked destruction in Catia La Mar, VenezuelaImage: Maxwell Briceno/AFP
According to official figures, more than 6,300 people were killed in the double earthquake. The effects on the impoverished country's infrastructure have also been dramatic. Shortly afterward, a satellite-based assessment by researchers at Oregon State University provisionally concluded that more than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed.Venezuela quakes death toll rises to almost 4,000To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
