Venezuela earthquakes kill at least 1,430 as poorly reinforced buildings collapse on soft soil
By
Rong-Gong Lin II, Patrick J. McDonnell, Mery Mogollón
Summary
A devastating earthquake struck Venezuela, causing catastrophic destruction as buildings collapsed due to a known vulnerability: tall concrete structures built on soft soil without sufficient seismic reinforcement. Engineers had warned for years about this risk. The quakes left at least 1,430 dead and over 3,200 injured, with rescue operations underway for survivors trapped in the rubble.
Source
bskyVenezuela earthquakes kill at least 1,430 as poorly reinforced buildings collapse on soft soillatimes.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledFor years, engineers analyzing Venezuela's construction patterns have voiced a major concern: That the country's precarious combination of soft ground soil and tall concrete structures — many lacking sufficient seismic reinforcement — could result in catastrophic destruction when a major earthquake struck.
That doomsday scenario came to pass in devastating fashion on Wednesday, when two massive, back-to-back quakes damaged or collapsed scores of buildings, leaving at least 1,430 dead, more than 3,200 injured and spurring a desperate search for survivors buried beneath the rubble.
The big problem, they warned, was the prevalence of tall concrete buildings atop soft soils — the kind that amplify shaking when an earthquake strikes.
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