SEVERE AFTERSHOCKS PERSIST AFTER EARTHQUAKE

As published in The News-Sun on Monday March 1, 2010. www.kpcnews.com

By Catherine Reyes-Housholder

SANTIAGO DE CHILE – The earthquakes in Chile don´t seem to stop.
At 8:30 a.m. today, the ground-shifting in our apartment caused my husband to sit straight up in bed, alarmed. I tell him it´s ok – that the real earthquake has passed – but then we sense more movement building up.
Reacting similarly as we did on Saturday morning at 3:35 a.m. when a 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, we leaped out of bed and positioned ourselves underneath the doorway.
This time the earthquake was just a 6.1 on the Ritcher scale and produced no further damage to our apartment.
After the massive earthquake on Saturday morning that rocked most of the nation, causing over 700 deaths and affecting millions, aftershocks have persisted. The local and international media are reporting that 20-30 aftershocks have topped 5.0. These aftershocks give the feeling that – although the worst is surely over – the country is still experiencing a natural disaster.
Most metro stations and buses are up and running in Santiago, but a significant part of the city (about 20 percent) is still without electricity.
Last night we went to my in-laws ´ house for a candle-lit dinner. They had no electricity the entire day and were only able to receive news through the radio station Radio Cooperativa.
My brother-in-law´s experience was more traumatic than my own, as I learned last night. He lives on the 14th floor of an apartment building just about 15 minutes away from where I live. During the initial earthquake on Saturday of 8.8, his bed began to slam repeatedly against his walls. When he tried to walk through the hallway, he couldn´t. At that moment he wondered if he couldn´t walk because of he was in shock or because the earthquake was whipping the tall building so potently. The latter was correct. The smell of gas was extremely strong, provoking a fear a fire. He ran out of his apartment building as fast as he could.
At about 9 p.m. we turned on a tiny mp4 player radio to hear President Michelle Bachelet´s brief speech to the nation. Although the player had its volume turned up to the maximum, we had to freeze in order to not make any noise that would impede our listening.
The message was simple and hit the right tone. Bachelet´s summary and analysis of the gravity of the situation and what problems lay ahead for Chile seemed to project the idea that everything was under control.
Although the general situation around the nation is one of calm, there are moments of chaos. This morning at about 9:30, the national news station TVN broadcast live looting of a local supermarket in Concepción, a city in the south that was rattled more severely than Santiago by the earthquake.
The station showed images of hundreds of Chileans running the the supermarket, forcing the back storage doors open with metal equipment and snatching food and electrical appliances. The reporter interviewed some of the people who claimed that they needed the food, but the sights of young and old men stealing what looked to be refrigerators and washing machines contradicted the alleged “neediness“ of the population to steal.
The mayor of Concepción, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe said that the situation was “getting out of control“ and that the army should be sent to help manage. Chilean newspapers reported at about 11:25 that the same supermarket began to give away food to those who apparently needed it. Police supervised the distribution in order to prevent more looting. More lootings of supermarkets and pharmacies were reported in Concepción.
In Santiago, one major problem is the long lines at the supermarkets. Because the earthquake occurred at the end of the month when most people are at the end of their month-long food supplies, demand for food was higher than usual. My in-laws waited in line for two hours this afternoon in order to buy chicken, vegetables, fruit and soft drinks.
Chilean newspapers updated their web sites every 5-10 minutes with the latest information as the television stations are covering the tragedy 24-7. The death toll as of 5 p.m. local time rose to 708 and is expected to increase.