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| Peruvians prepared to spend Wednesday night outside their homes near Lima after the earthquake. Enrique Castro Mendivil/Reuters |
Peru mobilizes after major earthquake
The death toll is far lower than in similar-magnitude quakes, such as one in 1970 that killed 70,000.
from the August 17, 2007 edition
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Stronger aftershocks followed quickly after the earthquake, with magnitudes close to 6 on the Richter scale.
The Peruvian government began to mobilize immediately, with President Alan Garcia addressing the nation and dispatching cabinet ministers to the hardest-hit areas. He ordered schools closed so that they could be inspected and dispatched the country's 100,000 police officers to hard-hit areas.
Segments of the Pan-American Highway, which runs the length of the Peruvian coast, were knocked out by the temblor, complicating relief efforts. Another developing problem in Ica is the escape of dozens of inmates from the Tambo de Mora prison. Police officers are actively rounding up escapees. Pisco's mayor also lamented that thieves were taking advantage of the crisis to loot damaged homes and stores.
Rush to provide tents, water, and food
Electricity was out in Ica and parts of Lima department, including the capital, and the country's telephone system collapsed immediately after the earthquake. Service was restored after several hours, but remained spotty.
President Garcia took the country's telecom companies to task during his address and Communication Minister Veronica Zavala announced emergency meetings with the major telecom providers to figure out what went wrong and fix it.
Production Minister Rafael Rey, who is coordinating part of the aid, said the immediate needs are tents, water, and food.
"We have been in constant contact with authorities and coordinating efforts. We are responding as quickly as possible to minimize this tragedy," said Mr. Rey in a telephone interview.
Garcia also expressed the sentiments of many Peruvians, saying that while the death and destruction is tragic, Peru was spared a disaster of much greater proportions.
"Thank you, God Almighty, that these terrible earthquakes did not cause death tolls like in years past," said Garcia.
He was referring to a 1970 earthquake in the central highlands that killed more than 70,000 people. The death toll for an earthquake of this magnitude is also relatively low compared with other major temblors in recent years.
The 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan and India in October 2005, for example, killed 73,276 people and left more than 100,000 injured.
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