Provisional satellite analysis indicates that more than 58,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the wake of two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week.
The assessment, derived from NASA data and analyzed by researchers at the University of Oregon, provides the first comprehensive quantification of the structural devastation across the affected coastal regions.
The seismic events, which hit on Wednesday, have resulted in a confirmed death toll exceeding 1,700 people, with authorities reporting that more than 50,000 individuals remain missing.
The scale of the infrastructure collapse suggests a prolonged humanitarian crisis, as rescue teams continue to search through rubble in cities across northern Venezuela.
Researchers Corey Sher and Jaimon Van Den Hek at the University of Oregon processed the satellite imagery to generate the building damage estimates.
Their findings highlight the severity of the twin quakes, which overwhelmed local emergency response capabilities and left thousands injured.