Peru Earthquake Death Toll Nearing 500
Posted August 16, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The numbers seem to increase like rocks on the piles of rubble. And nearly everyone fears they will keep going higher. The death toll in the earthquake in Peru has now risen to 450. At least 1,500 others have been injured. But it may take days for the real scope of this disaster to become evident. Mounds of broken concrete that were once homes, stores and hospitals lie everywhere, many with still undiscovered victims underneath.
Phones and power are out in large pockets as officials try to cope with a sudden and unexpected tragedy that has literally turned their world upside down. Many roads are impassable, making it impossible to get help where it’s most needed.
The shaker came around 6:40pm local time Wednesday night, registering at 8.0 on the Richter scale, one of the most serious intensities of temblors. It had originally been estimated a 7.9, but was raised by the U.S. Geological Survey on Thursday. The 15 aftershocks that followed – some measuring 6.3 – were a cruel reminder of the capricious whims of Mother Nature.
The worst hit areas appear to be the towns of Pico and Ica about 200 kilometres from the capital Lima. Officials say more than 200 were buried alive in one place alone – a church were they’d been attending a service when the earth moved. The quake struck when those houses of worship were full – it was a Roman Catholic holiday in the country and the devout went to church to show their faith. Many never came home.
Most of those lucky enough to survive the devastation now have no place to call home. They stand stunned in the street, what little of their belongings they were able to salvage scattered around them. Few will ever forget the moment the quake struck. “Everything was moving,” one woman recalls.
“It was very scary,” adds a man. “All the people were moving and glass coming down.”
“I never imagined this could happen in my lifetime,” a distraught senior continues. “If you see a house that is still standing, it’s a lie because it’s about to fall.”
Many are being housed in stadiums or coliseums, but they’re poor substitutes for their fallen homes. Others are left to fend for themselves in plazas. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. And so are police and rescue officials. The city of Pisco has dead bodies littering the streets. “The dead are scattered by the dozens,” the sobbing mayor told a local radio station.”We don’t have lights, water, communications. Most houses have fallen. Churches, stores, hotels — everything is destroyed.
Peru’s consul general in Toronto has set up a website and bank account for relief funds. The online presence is only in Spanish for now – they’re working on an English version listing all the goods they need. It could be running by Friday.
Money is welcome, but other items – like bedding, clothing, tents and most especially medicines are badly needed. Other relief agencies are also taking up the cause.
Here’s where you can help.
Sismo Peru 2007
Royal Bank
Acct # 06702-1134329
Because of the speed needed to set up this account, it’s only accessible for now at the Yonge & Bloor St. branch.
Other ways to donate:
World Vision
Tel: 1-800-268-5528
Canadians sponsor 13,900 children in Peru and as of now, they are reported to be safe.
- Canadian Red Cross
1-800-418-1111 -
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Reading The Richter Scale:
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- 1 to 3: Recorded on local seismographs, but generally not felt.
- 3 to 4: Often felt, no damage.
- 5: Felt widely, slight damage near epicentre.
- 6: Damage to poorly constructed buildings and other structures within 10 km.
- 7: “Major” earthquake, causes serious damage up to 100 km.
- 8: “Great” earthquake, great destruction, loss of life over several 100 km.
- 9: Rare great earthquake, major damage over a large region over 1000 km.
Some of the worst earthquakes to hit South and Central America:
Aug. 15, 2007: Pisco, Peru; magnitude 7.9; at least 337 killed.
June 23, 2001: Peru; magnitude 8.1; more than 100 killed.
April 22, 1991: Costa Rica; magnitude 7.4; more than 80 killed in Costa Rica and Panama; 30,000 people along the Costa Rica-Panama border cut off from food, water, medical supplies for days.
Feb. 4, 1976: Guatemala; magnitude 7.5; 22,700 killed.
May 31, 1970: Ancash, Peru; magnitude 7.9; 47,194 killed. The most catastrophic natural disaster ever recorded in the history of Peru.
May 22, 1960: Chile; magnitude 9.5; 5,700 killed.
Jan. 24, 1939: Chillan, Chile; magnitude 8.3; 28,000 killed.
