A devastating 1976 earthquake killed 22,000 people and reshaped Central American history
A massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Guatemala and Honduras in 1976, claiming 23,000 lives and leaving over a million people homeless in one of the 20th century's deadliest natural disasters.
On February 4, 1976, the Motagua Fault ruptured with terrifying force, leveling entire towns across the Guatemalan highlands in seconds. The disaster was so severe that it destroyed nearly 40 percent of the nation's housing and killed over 22,000 people in Guatemala alone. Many victims were trapped in heavy adobe homes that collapsed instantly under the seismic waves.
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