Earthquake August 15, 2007. Peru
please feel free to link this...
What is happening in my country
On the 15th of August at 6:48 there was an earthquake that affected most of Peru. It was of 7.0 in the Ritcher scale and 7.9 of magnitude, with an epicenter over the ocean of the city of Pisco, in the department of Ica (about 145 Kms to the southeast of Lima). This has been the most terrible earthquake that Peru has gone through in the last 50 years. This quake lasted over two minutes and a half, and it was felt in all of the country, including neighboring countries such as Colombia and Bolivia. Tsunami alerts have just stopped being issued and the aftershocks exceed the 330 count. The death toll so far is over 500 people, and there are over 1500 injured.
Many of you have learned through the news about the current situation in my country, and many of you must be thinking that all of us live like this in Peru, but I’d like to make it clear that it is not like that. Peru lives over the Placa de Nazca, which is always under constant movement, and we… it could be said that we are used to the earthquakes, which doesn’t mean at all that it doesn’t affect us.
In a territory such as ours, modern edifications have been built to hold when confronted by a seismic event. Even if you were to see Lima right now, you'd see that the city hasn’t bore significant damages in spite of the violent quake it was subjected to. However, there are many old mansions, built with wood, adobe bricks and other basic materials, which are in no condition to stand such a violent event such as this one. The Callao district of Lima and its port have suffered considerable damages, and its where many of the casualties and injuries happened. The cliff of Costa Verde, has , thank God, protected a significant part of the coast of the city of Lima (Lima), though it has suffered the collapse of parts of it. Other structures, in spite of their great height and build were incapable of protecting the humble inhabitants who lived near the edge. They've lost everything they had to the earthquake.
What you see in the news are the towns of Cañete (Lima), Chincha (Ica), Pisco (Ica), and Ica (Ica). These are rural towns in its majority, composed by houses built in wood and adobe bricks and other basic materials. Some have suffered what could be considered just significant damage to their structures, others, less lucky, were completely destroyed.
People were left homeless and they stay in the cold, looking at what they once called home. They cannot retrieve their belongings because they lay beneath the debris, and it’s just too dangerous to venture into it. Kids have nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, nothing to wear. In some cases they don’t have families anymore. The citizens cry overwhelmed by the sudden solitude they see themselves surrounded by, and others do vigils in front of the debris, waiting to find a sign of life beneath it. Others burn down broken doors and other structures to get some warmth. What chairs and furniture they recover is used so that the injured have a place to sit down.
There’s no electricity, there’s no water. There are no hospitals to go to.
The injured from the Hospital Estatal de Pisco, which suffered significant damages to its structure, were evacuated to a nearby sports field. The locals look for their missing relatives among the bodies laid in the ground of the main square. The bodies left over the streets can also be found in Cañete, Ica and especially Chincha; the people there are worrying now about the diseases that the bodies decomposition will bring, if they don't get boxes to put the bodies.
In the San José de Chincha clinic a wall collapsed over 30 patients who were waiting to receive medical care. Many hospitals have been closed since they are under risk of collapsing.
Because there’s no electricity, CT scans that could help treat the injuries of the hurt cannot be made.
There are no doctors, equipment, beds or medicine.
The Señor de Luren Church (deparment of Ica) - a religious center with an antiquity of 2 centuries - collapsed in its totality during mass. Only one survivor has been rescued from the debris while the locals await with renewed hope.
In Chincha (department of Ica) the San Clemente bridge collapsed and several stretches of the freeway broke in halves, hindering traffic.
On the other hand, at least 600 convicts escaped from the Tambo de Mora prison (located in the city of Chincha, department of Ica), right after the quake knocked down the walls of the precincts. Of those 600, only 29 have been found.
~ ~ ~
Today, after watching the news, I couldn’t stop the tears that came from seeing all the damage this monster has done to my country. Right now, I don’t know how I can help other than tell you what’s really going on. And if you can help, or you know how to help, or you know of someone who can help or knows how to help… please, help, tell what’s happening in my country, spread the word.
People don’t die because of the quake…
They die because of lack of help.
Lee esto enEspañol.
Thanks to xondra and to allira-dream for the translation and their help.
What is happening in my country
On the 15th of August at 6:48 there was an earthquake that affected most of Peru. It was of 7.0 in the Ritcher scale and 7.9 of magnitude, with an epicenter over the ocean of the city of Pisco, in the department of Ica (about 145 Kms to the southeast of Lima). This has been the most terrible earthquake that Peru has gone through in the last 50 years. This quake lasted over two minutes and a half, and it was felt in all of the country, including neighboring countries such as Colombia and Bolivia. Tsunami alerts have just stopped being issued and the aftershocks exceed the 330 count. The death toll so far is over 500 people, and there are over 1500 injured.
Many of you have learned through the news about the current situation in my country, and many of you must be thinking that all of us live like this in Peru, but I’d like to make it clear that it is not like that. Peru lives over the Placa de Nazca, which is always under constant movement, and we… it could be said that we are used to the earthquakes, which doesn’t mean at all that it doesn’t affect us.
In a territory such as ours, modern edifications have been built to hold when confronted by a seismic event. Even if you were to see Lima right now, you'd see that the city hasn’t bore significant damages in spite of the violent quake it was subjected to. However, there are many old mansions, built with wood, adobe bricks and other basic materials, which are in no condition to stand such a violent event such as this one. The Callao district of Lima and its port have suffered considerable damages, and its where many of the casualties and injuries happened. The cliff of Costa Verde, has , thank God, protected a significant part of the coast of the city of Lima (Lima), though it has suffered the collapse of parts of it. Other structures, in spite of their great height and build were incapable of protecting the humble inhabitants who lived near the edge. They've lost everything they had to the earthquake.
What you see in the news are the towns of Cañete (Lima), Chincha (Ica), Pisco (Ica), and Ica (Ica). These are rural towns in its majority, composed by houses built in wood and adobe bricks and other basic materials. Some have suffered what could be considered just significant damage to their structures, others, less lucky, were completely destroyed.
People were left homeless and they stay in the cold, looking at what they once called home. They cannot retrieve their belongings because they lay beneath the debris, and it’s just too dangerous to venture into it. Kids have nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, nothing to wear. In some cases they don’t have families anymore. The citizens cry overwhelmed by the sudden solitude they see themselves surrounded by, and others do vigils in front of the debris, waiting to find a sign of life beneath it. Others burn down broken doors and other structures to get some warmth. What chairs and furniture they recover is used so that the injured have a place to sit down.
There’s no electricity, there’s no water. There are no hospitals to go to.
The injured from the Hospital Estatal de Pisco, which suffered significant damages to its structure, were evacuated to a nearby sports field. The locals look for their missing relatives among the bodies laid in the ground of the main square. The bodies left over the streets can also be found in Cañete, Ica and especially Chincha; the people there are worrying now about the diseases that the bodies decomposition will bring, if they don't get boxes to put the bodies.
In the San José de Chincha clinic a wall collapsed over 30 patients who were waiting to receive medical care. Many hospitals have been closed since they are under risk of collapsing.
Because there’s no electricity, CT scans that could help treat the injuries of the hurt cannot be made.
There are no doctors, equipment, beds or medicine.
The Señor de Luren Church (deparment of Ica) - a religious center with an antiquity of 2 centuries - collapsed in its totality during mass. Only one survivor has been rescued from the debris while the locals await with renewed hope.
In Chincha (department of Ica) the San Clemente bridge collapsed and several stretches of the freeway broke in halves, hindering traffic.
On the other hand, at least 600 convicts escaped from the Tambo de Mora prison (located in the city of Chincha, department of Ica), right after the quake knocked down the walls of the precincts. Of those 600, only 29 have been found.
~ ~ ~
Today, after watching the news, I couldn’t stop the tears that came from seeing all the damage this monster has done to my country. Right now, I don’t know how I can help other than tell you what’s really going on. And if you can help, or you know how to help, or you know of someone who can help or knows how to help… please, help, tell what’s happening in my country, spread the word.
People don’t die because of the quake…
They die because of lack of help.
Lee esto enEspañol.
Thanks to xondra and to allira-dream for the translation and their help.