Managua 's progress came to a sudden halt after it suffered a second major earthquake on December 23 , 1972 , which destroyed 90 % of the city 's downtown and killed more than 19,120 people . Infrastructure was severely damaged and rehabilitation or restoration of buildings was nearly impossible . At the time , Managua 's limited resources had to be directed to other disaster relief purposes . Managua 's ability to cope with the disaster was also limited . Surviving fire squadrons and ambulance companies were not able to handle the skyrocketing demand for their services . Some buildings burned to the ground , while the foundations of others simply gave way . Not able to rebuild quickly , the city directed emergency workers to clear away much of the city 's ruins quickly while burying the deceased in mass graves . Residences , government buildings and entire avenues were demolished . Escaping the city center , earthquake victims found refuge in the outskirts of the city . To add insult to injury , corruption within the Somoza regime which allocated part of the relief funds hindered the reconstruction of the city 's center which remains somewhat isolated from the rest of the capital
second major earthquake
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
Managua