Post by H.E. José Cáceres Farfán. C.I. on Feb 28, 2010 4:34:24 GMT 2
At least 214 people have died so far in Chile and at least 15 have disappeared, according to the latest official figures from the National Emergency Office, following the strong earthquake of 8.8 degrees on the Richter scale that struck this morning the Chilean region of Bio-Bio in central-south.
"A catastrophe of historic proportions", described the Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma, the earthquake that hit Chile. "Since 1960-date the earthquake in Valdivia, the largest ever-never had an earthquake like this," the minister said, adding that the authorities expect "to have a standardized country" over the next 48 or 72 hours.
For its part, the Office director, Carmen Fernandez, said the figure may increase to the extent that it reaches places that could not previously access.
According to Perez Yoma, 34 of the deaths have occurred in the region of Maule, about 300 kilometers south of Santiago.
In the region of Bío Bío, 500 km from Santiago, where the epicenter of the earthquake, recorded at 03.36 pm today (07:36 Spanish time), have confirmation of ten deaths, but presumably a higher figure, as Undersecretary of the Interior, Patrick Rosende.
So far communication problems persist with the region, said the official, who also confirmed that the government declared disaster area throughout the territory affected by the earthquake, among the regions of Valparaiso and La Araucanía, covering some 800 kilometers of the country.
Meanwhile, President Michelle Bachelet, who has been from the first minutes following the catastrophe at the National Emergency Office, lamented that has not yet announced figures of wounded and that travel to the region of Maule, the most affected, in the next few hours.
Although the Chilean Navy dismissed the danger of a tsunami, a wave of considerable size, seized part of a village in the Juan Fernandez archipelago, 600 miles off the Chilean coast, causing no casualties.
Similar situations were reported from several coastal towns in the region of Maule and Easter Island, 3,600 miles off the Chilean coast, the authorities arranged a preventive evacuation of the town of Hanga Roa, although no changes were observed in the behavior of the sea .
As for material damage still being assessed, although the Santiago International Airport was closed for some damage to its facilities, especially in the control tower and reported several bridges and footbridges on the ground, both in the highways connecting the north and south.
The authorities recommended not to travel except in cases of strict necessity, while in Santiago there are some urban highways were also damaged at points of ingress and egress, said Public Works Minister Sergio Bitar.
Chile, after the quake, which occurred a few days before the 25th anniversary of the earthquake that caused several hundred deaths and destroyed several villages on the central coast on 3 March 1985, has been virtually paralyzed.
Several sources will be banned, among other activities, the day of football should be played this weekend and today probably the day of the Festival de la Canción de Viña del Mar. The authorities have reported that classes will resume on Wednesday.
Government sources also noted that President Michelle Bachelet decided to cancel his scheduled trip to Uruguay, next Monday, to attend the inauguration of that country's new president, Jose Mujica.
In Argentina, the provinces that suffered firsthand the earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that have followed, were Mendoza and San Juan. The Andes stopped the blast but some farm buildings were crumbling.
José Eduardo Cáceres Farfán
Imperial Ambassador to Mexico
Count of the Empire
"A catastrophe of historic proportions", described the Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma, the earthquake that hit Chile. "Since 1960-date the earthquake in Valdivia, the largest ever-never had an earthquake like this," the minister said, adding that the authorities expect "to have a standardized country" over the next 48 or 72 hours.
For its part, the Office director, Carmen Fernandez, said the figure may increase to the extent that it reaches places that could not previously access.
According to Perez Yoma, 34 of the deaths have occurred in the region of Maule, about 300 kilometers south of Santiago.
In the region of Bío Bío, 500 km from Santiago, where the epicenter of the earthquake, recorded at 03.36 pm today (07:36 Spanish time), have confirmation of ten deaths, but presumably a higher figure, as Undersecretary of the Interior, Patrick Rosende.
So far communication problems persist with the region, said the official, who also confirmed that the government declared disaster area throughout the territory affected by the earthquake, among the regions of Valparaiso and La Araucanía, covering some 800 kilometers of the country.
Meanwhile, President Michelle Bachelet, who has been from the first minutes following the catastrophe at the National Emergency Office, lamented that has not yet announced figures of wounded and that travel to the region of Maule, the most affected, in the next few hours.
Although the Chilean Navy dismissed the danger of a tsunami, a wave of considerable size, seized part of a village in the Juan Fernandez archipelago, 600 miles off the Chilean coast, causing no casualties.
Similar situations were reported from several coastal towns in the region of Maule and Easter Island, 3,600 miles off the Chilean coast, the authorities arranged a preventive evacuation of the town of Hanga Roa, although no changes were observed in the behavior of the sea .
As for material damage still being assessed, although the Santiago International Airport was closed for some damage to its facilities, especially in the control tower and reported several bridges and footbridges on the ground, both in the highways connecting the north and south.
The authorities recommended not to travel except in cases of strict necessity, while in Santiago there are some urban highways were also damaged at points of ingress and egress, said Public Works Minister Sergio Bitar.
Chile, after the quake, which occurred a few days before the 25th anniversary of the earthquake that caused several hundred deaths and destroyed several villages on the central coast on 3 March 1985, has been virtually paralyzed.
Several sources will be banned, among other activities, the day of football should be played this weekend and today probably the day of the Festival de la Canción de Viña del Mar. The authorities have reported that classes will resume on Wednesday.
Government sources also noted that President Michelle Bachelet decided to cancel his scheduled trip to Uruguay, next Monday, to attend the inauguration of that country's new president, Jose Mujica.
In Argentina, the provinces that suffered firsthand the earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that have followed, were Mendoza and San Juan. The Andes stopped the blast but some farm buildings were crumbling.
José Eduardo Cáceres Farfán
Imperial Ambassador to Mexico
Count of the Empire