Japanese specialist Kit Miyamoto: Venezuela's double earthquake is the third most catastrophic tragedy in the world

Published at: 12/07/2026 09:50 AM

The Japanese structural engineer, Kit Miyamoto, described the seismic activity of last June 24 in Venezuela as the third most catastrophic natural event on a global scale, and one of the three worst tragedies of this type, together with those in China in 2008 and Turkey in 2023 because it is an immensely complex situation.

In an exclusive interview with Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), the specialist, with more than 30 years of professional experience in urban resilience and earthquake resistant reconstruction, confirmed the magnitude of the event, although he also appreciated and verified a very fast and effective institutional response to the needs of the civilian population, through a good level of organization in each of the sites he visited in the national territory.

He assured that the immediate response was evidenced through the actions of rescuers, together with government deployment and the active participation of various international organizations that serve people properly.

Miyamoto explained that the collapse of the buildings was concentrated in two specific areas, made up of the slopes with formal and informal housing and the coastal area.

Regarding the slopes, the international expert explained that, at first glance, no external damage can be seen, but after carrying out a detailed inspection inside the houses, fractures in walls and damage are identified that, even if they are not on the same scale as the flat area, should receive priority attention, while confirming the viability of reconstruction in the state of La Guaira.

The structural engineer expressed his absolute certainty about the country's future, stressing that “stronger countries and nations are born out of tragedies”.

He emphasized that Venezuelan resilience goes far beyond the rubble and that the population will emerge stronger from the current emergency thanks to the learning gained in field experience.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaoip4e