By mid-August 2026, ten earthquakes measuring above magnitude 7 on the Richter scale had been recorded worldwide, according to available data — below the long-term global average of approximately 15 such events per year. The deadliest struck Venezuela on June 24, killing more than 6,300 people, according to official figures.
Major earthquakes in 2026: Venezuela double quake deadliest so far, Colombia and Philippines also struck
By mid-August 2026, ten earthquakes measuring above magnitude 7 on the Richter scale had been recorded worldwide, according to available data — below the long-term global average of approximately 15 such events per year. The deadliest struck Venezuela on June 24, killing more than 6,300 people, according to official figures.
Venezuela was hit on June 24 by two earthquakes in rapid succession: a magnitude 7.2 followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5. The north of the country and the capital, Caracas, were the areas most affected. A satellite-based assessment by researchers at Oregon State University provisionally concluded that more than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed.
The strongest earthquake of 2026 so far occurred on June 8 off the southern coast of the Philippine island of Mindanao, registering magnitude 7.8 at a depth of about 57 kilometers. At least 107 people were killed. The quake was felt across large parts of Mindanao.
On August 10, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, with its epicenter in the Choco region near San Jose del Palmar, at a depth of 100 kilometers. More than 250 people are currently estimated to have died. Landslides and damaged roads have hampered search efforts and the delivery of supplies to remote areas.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck near the island group of Vava'u in Tonga on March 24. The quake occurred at a depth of around 230 kilometers, which weakened surface tremors. No deaths or infrastructure damage were reported.
On April 20, the US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 7.4 undersea earthquake off Japan's Sanriku Coast in Iwate prefecture. A tsunami warning was issued but no major tsunami occurred. The area was also affected by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that resulted in the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan on April 3, killing at least 12 people. The source attributed the deaths in part to poor building construction, limited access to remote areas, and underdeveloped disaster response protocols.
- The source does not state the exact methodology or confidence level of the Oregon State University satellite-based building damage assessment for Venezuela.
- The source does not state the total confirmed death toll for Colombia as of the date of publication, noting only that more than 250 deaths are currently estimated.
- The source does not identify which body or bodies compiled the global earthquake frequency average of approximately 15 magnitude-7-or-above events per year.
- The source does not state the current status of the tsunami warning issued following the April 20 Japan earthquake — specifically when it was lifted.
- The source does not provide casualty or damage figures for Tonga beyond confirming there were none.
- The source was translated from German; the originating publication is not named.
Read the original at Deutsche Welle