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Rescuers Search For Survivors After Chile Quake

   VOA News 28 February 2010

Photo: AP

   A  woman  sits in front a quake-damaged house in Talca, Chile, after a
   8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country, 27 Feb 2010

   Rescue  workers  are tearing through the rubble in search of survivors
   in  Chile  Sunday,  a  day  after  a  massive earthquake shattered the
   country's central region.
   The  8.8 magnitude quake struck the South American country Saturday in
   the  early  morning  hours.   It  has  been  followed by more than 100
   aftershocks, including one with a 6.9 magnitude.
   The  quake  has killed more than 300 people and damaged as many as 1.5
   million homes.  The death toll is expected to rise.
   Rescuers  are  working  to  reach  about  a  100  people trapped in an
   apartment   building  that  collapsed  in  Concepcion,  the  country's
   second-largest  city.   The  main  rescue operation is centered in the
   city, about 100 kilometers from the epicenter of the quake.
   Television  images  showed  looters  ransacking  stores  in Conception
   Sunday, stealing both food and electronics before police intervened.
   President  Michelle  Bachelet  declared  a  "state  of catastrophe" in
   central  Chile, where the quake toppled buildings, overturned cars and
   brought down power and phone lines.
   Bridges  fell  and  many streets were covered with rubble.  Fires were
   reported.  Several hospitals collapsed.
   The  president  has not asked for assistance from other countries, but
   several nations have offered to send aid.
   Speaking  at  the Vatican Sunday, Pope Benedict said he is praying for
   the people of Chile and other populations in the Pacific tested by the
   calamity.
   The  earthquake  has raised a daunting first challenge for billionaire
   Sebastian  Pinera,  who  was elected Chile's president in January.  He
   takes office in two weeks.
   Chile's  children who were preparing to return to school Monday at the
   end  of  their  summer  break have had their vacation extended another
   week.
   In  the  capital, Santiago, officials closed the international airport
   because of damage.
   Argentina and other parts of South America also felt the earthquake.
   While  cell  phone  communication  was  knocked out by the quake, many
   people  used  social  networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to
   reach out to friends and loved ones.
   The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or
   more  is  classified as a "great" earthquake that can cause tremendous
   damage.
   The  biggest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile in
   1960.  It had a magnitude of 9.5 and also set off a tsunami, which had
   devastating  effects  in  Pacific  countries  including  Japan and the
   Philippines, where at least 1,600 people were killed.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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