How Google saved millions of people from earthquakes in Venezuela/ Technology worked where the state had no way

2026-06-27 21:57:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

How Google saved millions of people from earthquakes in Venezuela/ Technology

Venezuela is facing the tragic consequences of two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, which have caused hundreds of victims, while authorities fear that the death toll will rise, as many people continue to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Unlike countries like Japan, Mexico, Canada, or the United States, Venezuela does not have a state-run earthquake early warning system. In this situation, Google's Earthquake Alerts system, which runs on millions of Android phones, played a crucial role.

This system uses the motion sensors (accelerometers) built into Android phones to identify the first seismic waves (P-waves). When multiple devices record the same phenomenon, the data is sent to Google servers, where it is analyzed and confirmed as an earthquake. Users then receive warning notifications a few seconds or even up to two minutes before the arrival of the strongest tremors.

According to Google, during the earthquakes in Venezuela, warnings were sent to about 11.4 million people, while about 1.4 million of them received the most urgent notification, called "Take Action", which advised them to take immediate protective measures.

The two earthquakes occurred with a very short time interval, causing the system to treat them as a single seismic event and gradually expand the warning area, while updating the estimate for the magnitude and intensity of the tremors.

Experts point out that the effectiveness of such systems also depends on the distance from the epicenter. People who are further away have more time to react, while those near the epicenter may only receive the notification a few moments before or during the shaking. However, even a few seconds can be crucial in saving lives.

The case of Venezuela shows that technology from private companies can temporarily replace the lack of state infrastructure in countries that lack modern warning systems.

However, specialists emphasize that technology is not enough. To reduce the loss of human life, warnings must be accompanied by public education and continuous information, so that citizens know how to react in critical moments. /CNA