AP Investigation: Warnings Ignored as Venezuela Coastal Towers Faced Quake Forces They Couldn’t Take – WTOP News
Scientists warned the towers were built on unstable coastal soil near a major fault, and more than 17,000 people were left homeless.
- On June 24, powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing at least 14 apartment towers in La Guaira to collapse simultaneously, killing more than 6,500 people and leaving over 17,000 homeless.
- Ignoring scientific warnings regarding the area's history of mudslides, the government constructed tall concrete apartment complexes on loose, rocky soil during a 2010 housing push near the San Sebastian Fault.
- Stanford University professor Eduardo Miranda analyzed camera footage showing eight buildings collapse simultaneously, revealing resonance caused 10 to 20-story structures to sway until hitting breaking points from the intense seismic pulse.
- Acting President Delcy Rodriguez's government has withheld forensic reports and blueprints while continuing cleanup efforts that include dynamiting damaged structures, drawing criticism from survivors regarding transparency.
- Scientists urge the government to avoid repeating mistakes from 15 years ago, warning that constructing earthquake-resistant high-rises will likely dissuade some private investors from developing certain coastal areas.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Takeaways from AP investigation into collapse of housing towers during
CARABALLEDA, Venezuela (AP) — The collapse of public housing buildings in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira following two catastrophic earthquakes in June can be traced back to their beginnings in 2010, experts and former officials told
Warnings ignored as Venezuela coastal towers faced quake forces they couldn't take, investigation reveals
In June, powerful earthquakes struck the coastal town of La Guaira, resulting in significant destruction and loss of life. Government-built apartment complexes collapsed due to inadequate construction standards and negligence toward geological risks. Experts indicated that the region's historical vulnerability to natural disasters was overlooked in housing projects. Officials have pledged to rebuild but face scrutiny regarding past mistakes in p…
AP investigation: Warnings ignored as Venezuela coastal towers faced quake forces they couldn’t take – WTOP News
CARABALLEDA, Venezuela (AP) — Scientists had warned the government not to build along Venezuela’s coastal strip of La Guaira. The area’s seaside Caribbean commu
The Toronto Star
My Mother LodeAP investigation: Warnings ignored as Venezuela coastal towers faced quake forces they couldn’t take
CARABALLEDA, Venezuela (AP) — Scientists had warned the government not to build along Venezuela’s coastal strip of La Guaira.
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