More than 58,000 buildings likely damaged or destroyed in Venezuela

The powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week damaged or destroyed more than 58,000 buildings, according to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by the U.S. space agency NASA.

Some 1,700 people died and thousands remain missing following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes, the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century.

According to researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, "approximately 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected region," based on satellite radar data collected on June 25, the day after the earthquakes.

Both cited data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite, which provides high-resolution radar images.

“This is a preliminary and rapid assessment. It reflects an abrupt change in the surface, consistent with damage,” the researchers wrote, adding that the figure should only be interpreted as an indicator and has not been verified on the ground.

The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, reported on Monday that 855 buildings had been damaged, including 189 “total collapses.”

NASA stated that its satellites were “providing critical support, capturing images and data to help teams on the ground assess the impacts and guide response efforts.”