Satellite Data: Over 58,000 Buildings Damaged In Venezuela Earthquakes

Satellite assessment indicates widespread damage

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

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, were the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century. Around 1,700 people were killed, while thousands remain missing.

Researchers cite Sentinel-1 radar data

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

The researchers based their assessment 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 only be treated as an indicator because it has not been verified on the ground.

Official damage count lower than satellite estimate

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."