06/29/2026

Death toll in Venezuela quake tops 1,400

Three days after Venezuela suffered two strong earthquakes, it was reported that 33 people had been rescued from rubble, more than 1,400 were killed, and thousands were missing in the South American nation. A Swiss rescuer said that after 72 hours, it is increasingly unlikely that survivors could be found beneath the rubble. The magnitude 7.2 ?and 7.5 quakes could have caused more than 10,000 deaths, according to an estimate by the U.S. Geological Survey.

■Class discussion: History’s strongest earthquake, a 9.5 magnitude, killed 1,655 people in Chile, while a 7.6 temblor killed more than 300,000 people in China. What makes some smaller earthquakes deadlier than stronger ones? Is it the size of the population near the quake? How do tsunamis raise earthquake death tolls? Do earthquakes threaten where you live? What other natural disasters might you face? How can we make disasters more survivable? Stronger buildings and infrastructure? Better preparation?