100,000 Join Earthquake
Drill in Chile
Around 100,000 people,
including workers and
students, Tuesday
participated in an
earthquake and tsunami
drill in central Chile.
The drill began with the
sounding of a foghorn
that was heard
throughout the port city
of Valparaiso, some 120
km north of Santiago.
The operation featured
evacuation and rescue
work headed by
specialized government
units, which have the
responsibility of
dealing with emergency
situations caused by
natural catastrophes.
Valparaiso mayor Aldo
Cornejo said they "used
sea water to put out
fires, stopped railroad
circulation and set up
temporary shelters."
There were also
simulated rescue
missions and drinking
water was distributed,
he said.
Local residents remember
the earthquake measuring
7 on the Richter scale
which shook Chile's
central zone, including
Santiago and Valparaiso,
on March 3, 1985. The
quake caused hundreds of
deaths and economic
losses valued at
millions of U.S.
dollars.
The drill involved 52
local and regional
governments, as well as
136 education
institutions and 86
schools.
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