Why did they pancake? Building failures, soft soil amplify Venezuela quake destruction
A magnitude‑6.5 earthquake struck western Venezuela, causing extensive building collapses and casualties. Soft, water‑saturated soils amplified the shaking, worsening damage to structures that were often poorly constructed. Authorities are conducting rescue operations while experts call for stricter building codes and retrofitting.
- ▪The quake, centered near the city of San Cristóbal, resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
- ▪Many of the worst‑affected buildings were informal homes and older structures that did not meet modern seismic standards.
- ▪Geotechnical studies showed that soft alluvial soils in the region amplified ground motion, increasing the severity of damage.
- ▪Rescue teams from the military and international aid groups are searching for survivors and providing emergency shelter.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at South China Morning Post.