Venezuela earthquakes: Why is Central America so vulnerable to tremors?
Summary
Two strong earthquakes hit Venezuela near Caracas, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971. Central America is very prone to earthquakes because it sits where several large pieces of the Earth's crust meet and move.Key Facts
- Two earthquakes with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck west of Caracas on Wednesday evening.
- Venezuelan officials declared a state of emergency after many buildings collapsed.
- The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned the death toll could rise to thousands.
- Venezuela lies along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.
- Earthquakes there are caused by movement along faults where Earth's plates slide past each other.
- Central America has many tectonic plates interacting, including a plate moving under another, called a subduction zone.
- Many buildings in Central America are old or not strong enough to handle big earthquakes.
- The region has experienced several deadly earthquakes recently, such as in Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica.
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