NASA estimates nearly 59,000 buildings damaged in Venezuela earthquake

A preliminary experimental assessment by NASA suggests that Venezuela's recent double earthquake may have damaged or destroyed nearly 59,000 buildings. The US space agency used radar data from the European Sentinel-1 satellite to create the initial damage estimates. NASA stressed that this is a preliminary product, released days after the event, and has not yet been validated.

The assessment indicates that around 58,870 structures likely sustained damage or were destroyed. The data was gathered from satellite passes on June 24 and June 25, covering areas from the western region near the epicenter to the metropolitan area of Caracas. Experts compared this post-event imagery with reference images taken over the preceding year.

NASA's Disaster Response Coordination System has been activated to provide support, with maps and data products being published as they become available. The European Space Agency is also using Sentinel-1 data to create maps, including one showing ground deformation with millimeter precision, by comparing data from before and after the earthquakes.