Latin America’s deadliest earthquakes

The region, crisscrossed by complex fault zones, has been struck by major tremors, causing widespread destruction and heavy loss of life

Year
2010
1868
1970
1797
1939
Country
Haiti
Ecu.-Col.*
Peru
Ecuador
Chile
Magnitude
7.0
7.7
7.9
8.3
8.3
Death toll
316,000
70,000
66,794
40,000
30,000
Year
1812
1868
1976
1797
1861
Country
Venezuela
Chile
Guatemala
Venezuela
Argentina
Mag.
7.7
8.5
7.5
N/A
N/ADeath
26,000
25,000
23,000
16,000
14,000
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Jun 24, 2026: 7.2 and 7.5 quakes strike west of Caracas, Venezuela
SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE
NAZCA PLATE
PACIFIC PLATEANT
ARCTIC PLATE
NORTH AMERICAN PLATE
AFRICAN PLATE
Altiplano Plate
Scotia Plate
Sandwich Plate
Cocos Plate
Caribbean Plate
North Andes Plate
620 miles
1,000km

*40,000 deaths in Ecuador, 30,000 in Colombia
Picture: Google Earth
Sources: Reuters, USGS
© GRAPHIC NEWS