Strong earthquakes of similar magnitude struck Venezuela and Japan within half an hour of each other.
According to US and Japanese seismic services, Venezuela experienced two tremors of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude at 02:04 and 02:05 Baku time. Japan's northeastern region recorded a 7.2 magnitude quake at 02:33 Baku time.
Despite similar magnitudes, the impacts differ significantly. Venezuela faces widespread destruction and expected high casualties. In Japan, only five people suffered minor injuries from falls.
The key difference lies in epicenter location and depth. Venezuela's epicenter was on land at depths of 22 and 10 km. Japan's epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean at 50 km depth.
Japan's buildings are designed to withstand quakes, but tsunami risk remains high. The 2011 quake generated 10-meter tsunami waves, causing massive loss of life.
