Wednesday the 03rd of March was the 25th anniversary of the devastating 1985 earthquake which at 7.9 on the Richter scale destroyed much of Santiago and surrounding cities. Twenty five years later the country is once again desperately trying to recover from an even deadlier earthquake at 8.8 on the Richter Scale , which was then followed by a giant Tsunami along 800 kilometres of coastline.
Chile is the most seismic country on Earth. So strong was Chile’s recent earthquake, that according to NASA, the earth’s rotation may have changed and shortened the length of days as a result. This earthquake was 500 times more forceful than the January 12th earthquake in Haiti. If it were not for Chile’s strict building code, the damage would be much more severe. It seems that the death toll will be less than orginally thought, perhaps less than 300. As an example of the power of the earthquake, the coast island of Santa Maria, to the south of Concepcion has been raised 2 metres into the air by the earthquake.
Today as I write on Thursday afternoon, there has been strong seismic activity in the north of Chile, with an earthquake at 6.4 on the Richter scale. This seismic activity is totally independent of Saturday’ earthquake south of Santiago as was the earthquake in Salta in Argentina on the other side of the Andes which killed two people on Saturday, the same day as the Chilean giant.
“Chile has suffered an earthquake and tsunami of colossal proportions” said the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet late on Thursday afternoon, the 04th of March. She went on to say, “We must do everything we can to find people still missing, to normalize the basic services and unite together in solidarity to help the victims.” Several people including President Bachelet’s elderly aunt died from heart attacks caused by the terror and panic of the earthquake.
Electricity and water are only now beginning to be restored to many areas in the earthquake and tsunami zone. Food supplies are also beginning to get through to the disaster area. Supermarket shelves here in Santiago are beginning to empty however. In Santiago, several multi-story apartment blocks up to 21 stories have been evacuated due to irreparable damage. One of these, a 21 story apartment block is learning dangerous forward. In the city centre of Santiago alone, 71 buildings have severe damage. Damage is much more serious nearer the epicenter of course, like for instance the 14 story apartment building that fell over backwards during the earthquake in Concepcion. Rescue teams are still working on this building.
Graves in a cemetery in one town in the earthquake zone were ripped open by the earthquake and bones were strewn in all directions. Local residents wear face mask due to the strong smell. One hundred and fifty six of the two hundred prisoners, who escaped from the jail in the city of Chillan when a wall collapsed in during the earthquake, have not yet been caught.
Roads to the south are beginning to be opened despite severe destruction to highways and bridges. This year’s Wine Harvest Festival in the affected areas which would have been ready to begin in the next few weeks, has been cancelled due to the serious damage to wineries. The river in the wine growing Colchagua valley is running red due to the loss of millions of litres of excellent red wine.
The terminal at Santiago airport was seriously damaged by the earthquake. The airport is now open with passengers passing through tents elected on outside where immigration and customs operate.
Since the earthquake and tsunami in the early morning hours of Saturday morning, the 27th of February, the earthquake zone has suffered over 203 aftershocks over 5.0 on the Richter scale including 10 between 6.0 and 6.9 on the Richter scale. This means that thousands of families continue to sleep outside for fear of their damaged homes and other buildings collapsing. It also means a continued fear of another tsunami along the coast.
It is only now that the true picture of damage from the Tsunami is becoming clearer. Many coastal fishing and holiday resort towns have been completely destroyed by the giant waves. A cage full of lions from a small circus that somehow survived the giant waves has just been rescued today. It was from this same circus that the Ferris Wheel was dragged 250 metres away and left standing upright. One women interviewed on TV was washed by the waves nearly three kilometers from her camping ground and left unconscious on top of a hill.
The Catholic Church has also suffered severely. The Cardinal Archbishop of Santiago, Francisco Javier Errazuriz, has issued a Pastoral Letter to be read out at all Sunday masses this week end. The opening words are,
“Our Diocese has never lived through an earthquake so long and so violent, that would cause so much worry and so much anguish in so many people, above all because of the threat of death, of irreparable damage and destruction. “
The Cardinal also said that while we recognize that God has given us a very beautiful country, we have to acknowledge that we live in a country where the earth moves. All churches in Santiago are to be left open Friday night and all day Saturday so that people can bring basic food items and other help that will be channeled to the victims through Caritas Chile. Every night at 07.00, church bells are sounded and people are invited in every parish to pray for the earthquake and tsunami victims.
In the six dioceses south of Santiago in the earthquake zone, Rancagua, Talca, Linares, Chillan, Los Angeles and Concepcion, it is calculated that 80% of all church buildings have been severely damaged. In the diocese of Rancagua alone, 65 parish churches and over 700 chapels have been destroyed. In the diocese of Talca, 14 parish churches have irreparable damage, 18 with severe damage and 19 without any damage.
The President of the Chilean Episcopal Conference, Bishop Alejandro Goic said the following words on Wednesday the 03 of March in a statement calling for calm, peace and solidarity.
“We love this country that knows how to rise again from earthquakes, Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and floods, a people that knows how to get up again in peace from death and violence in many moments of her history.”
The Chilean Church along with the Government, Universities, Colleges, Sporting Clubs, private companies, individuals etc. have joined in a massive effort to raise funds to help the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami. This weekend there will be a Telethon of which Caritas Chile will support.
The Columban Missionary Society in Chile is also well organized in trying to help the victims. In addition to participating in all of our parishes in the week-end Caritas Chile campaign, we have decided to help three specific parishes that have been destroyed---Pencahue and Parral destroyed by the earthquake and Vichuaquen destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. We will be trying to deliver food and clothing to these places in the short term and helping them get on their feet again in the medium term. The family of the Coordinator of the Columban Missionary Youth movement lives in Parral. Their home was severely damaged in the Saturday’s earthquake and totally destroyed in yesterday´s strong aftershocks.
Both Church and government leader speak of the “Social Earthquake” which followed Saturday´s earthquake and tsunami which was the widespread looting that led to a nighttime curfew imposed in most of the earthquake area by the military. This problem now seems to be under control. At the moment, the police are discovered the burnt bodies of looters in Concepcion who died after setting fire to a supermarket they were looting.
Foreign aid is now beginning to arrive in Chile particularly from neighbouring countries. As one of Santiago’s public hospitals was severely damaged and had to be evacuated, the Brazilian aid effort has erected a camp hospital for over 350 patients where minor operations can be performed. Peru has also sent a camp hospital. The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales has said that he will take a 50% reduction in his monthly salary this month to donate money to the victims in Chile.
In natural disasters, people react differently. One never ceases to be surprised by the faith of people, many of whom have lost everything. It is common to hear victims say that everything now depends on God, that only God knows what will happen and that their lives are in God’s hands.
Please continue to pray for Chile and the victims of this terrible tragedy.
Fr Dan Harding SSC has worked in Chile since 1991
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