When the earth moves: six major earthquakes of 2026
Colombia, Venezuela, Mindanao: Thousands have died in powerful earthquakes this year. Six such events show that the magnitude of the quake is not the only factor determining the scale of the disaster.
2026 has seen six major earthquakes, none of which are particularly unusual. On average, around 15 earthquakes above magnitude 7 occur globally each year. However, the impact of these quakes varies greatly.
On June 24, an earthquake in Venezuela killed over 6,300 people, causing significant damage to infrastructure. Despite the magnitude of the quake off Mindanao in the Philippines on June 8, deaths were fewer due to less severe consequences.
A magnitude 7.4 quake in western Colombia on August 10 caused extensive damage, killing more than 250 people. The most impactful quake this year was the magnitude 7.5 event near Tonga on March 24, which caused little damage and no fatalities.
An undersea earthquake off Japan's northeastern coast on April 20, though magnitude 7.4, led to no major tsunami and no deaths. In Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, a magnitude 5.8 quake on April 3 resulted in at least 12 deaths, highlighting how even small tremors can be deadly in impoverished regions.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
