“We’re facing an emergency unlike anything else in Chile’s history,” Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said on Feb. 28 a day after the earthquake hit the capital Santiago and regions further south.
At that time, Chile, one of the most developed countries in Latin America, had not requested or accepted offers of aid by the international community.
“We generally do not ask for help,” Ms. Bachelet had said.
By Monday March 1, however, the full extent of the death and devastation had become apparent.
It is “a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to recover,” the outgoing president said.
Ms. Bachelet is due to hand over the presidency to President-elect Sebastian Pinera on March 11 and, according to the Christian Science Monitor, had planned to focus on helping Haitian women restore their lives after the Haitian earthquake. She may have to rethink those plans now.
Over 2 million Chileans, or one-eighth of the entire population, are estimated to have been displaced by the Chile quake, considered to be the seventh most powerful on record.
To date, 795 people have died, but the numbers are expected to increase as communication is restored to the more isolated regions.
With tremors felt as far away as Argentina, the quake was centered some 200 miles south of the capital Santiago and over 70 miles north-north-east of the second largest city of Concepcion (population 670,000).
Buildings and bridges collapsed, and roads buckled in and around Santiago, sending thousands of people out into the streets. However, the greatest damage occurred in Conception, where a 15-storey building collapsed, houses were devastated, and bridges were destroyed.
The stories of devastation in coastal regions battered by tsunami waves have also begun to surface.
Over 300 bodies have been found in the quaint seaside village of Constitucion alone. The mayor of Constitucion said the town’s seafront and center had been “completely destroyed.”
In the port of Talcahuano, more than 20 boats were swept ashore and dumped in the streets by waves. On Juan Fernandez Islands, the devastation is even more pronounced with unconfirmed reports estimating waves higher than 130 feet, Reuters reported.
Aid Arriving
Aid is now starting to flow into Chile. In Geneva, Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the U.N.’s humanitarian coordination office (OCHA), told newswires that Chile had requested help, supplying “a list of priorities.”
The list included field hospitals with surgery facilities, mobile bridges, communications equipment, kitchens, as well as disaster assessment and coordination teams.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was taking 20 satellite phones and a technician with her when she visited the region this week.
Mrs. Clinton said it was what Chilean authorities had asked for, but officials had confirmed that they were organizing a field hospital and water purification systems, which had also been requested.
The European Commission is sending in an assessment mission to determine specific needs, but has already approved €3 million (US$4.1 million) in emergency aid for Chile.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith acknowledged a formal request for aid from the Chilean ambassador. Australia would give US$900,000 in emergency assistance and a further US$3.6 million in reconstruction assistance following detailed assessment, he said in a statement.
Mr. Smith said Australia was also assessing whether to send a team of structural engineers to carry out damage assessments on public buildings and infrastructure affected by the earthquake. They would also provide emergency supplies, including portable generators to provide power and lighting to affected communities.
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