Over 500 Fatalities of
Quake in Peru
At least 500 people dead
and thousands
inuuredplus large
material damage were the
toll of Wednesday"s 7.9
degree quake in the
Richter scale in Peru.
Peru spent a jumpy night
due to the large number
of after shakes, over
100 and mostly
imperceptible, and fear
with the fatalities,
collapsing buildings and
a tsunami.
The Civil Defense
National Institute says
the cities of Ica,
Chincha, Pisco and
Cañete were the hardest
hit and local hospitals
collapsed due to the
large number of victims.
The Seismology Institute
located the epicenter of
the near two-minute sea
quake, that occurred at
18:41, local time (23:41
GMT), at over 105 miles
SW Lima and 29.20 miles
deep.
Housing Minister Hernan
Garrido, that lead a
cabinet mission to the
affected area, said the
government declared an
emergency in Ica and
sent 50 doctors and a
campaign hospital for
500 patients.
Prime Minister Jorge del
Castillo said that the
relief consists of food,
medication, winter
clothes and tents.
While in Lima suffered
wild-spread panic, in
Puerto del Callao many
slept in the open
fearing a tsunami
although official
reports denied it.
President Alan Garcia
suspended school
activity, among other
emergency measures, and
asked the people to stay
calm while he voiced
concern with the
collapsed telephone
service.
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