The earthquake that struck Venezuela yesterday has gone down in history as the strongest earthquake recorded in the country since 1900.
Venezuela was shaken on Wednesday by two major earthquakes that occurred in quick succession. The first measured 7.2 in magnitude, while the second reached 7.5, making them the most powerful earthquakes recorded in the country over the past 126 years.
In a statement, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, “The magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday was the strongest earthquake recorded in the country or its coastal regions since 1900.”
USGS experts warned that the death toll and destruction caused by this earthquake could be far greater than those resulting from the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck off Venezuela’s coast on October 29, 1900.
Commenting on the event, USGS geophysicist Paul Earl noted that the magnitude of the 1900 earthquake was estimated based on historical damage reports and eyewitness accounts, as modern seismological instruments were not available at the time.