Chile Earthquake Aftermath #4

This was provided by a friend who works with TWR

Report on Earthquake

Within the last 40 minutes we have been able to take advantage of locations where electricity is available. For that reason I am able to write to you from a communication center that produces its own electricity. Please pass the following information onto all the RTM offices:

Beloved brothers in the faith and co-workers in the service of RTM, (Radio Trans Mundial-TWR in Spanish) Receive my most sincere greetings from this trembling Chilean land where, after having had a terrible, indescribable earthquake this past Saturday evening, we continue to have aftershocks every 50 minutes to every hour and a half. ALL of those involved in the ministry here in Chile are well. Except for the fear and stress that a situation like this produces in one’s life, we are doing well physically. Of course, many of the homes of our brothers have been damaged and later on they will need to be repaired.

The RTM office ended up in a heap of rubble. Part of the roof fell in, the furniture came tumbling down destroying other things in its path. Tomorrow we plan to begin the job of clean-up and repair.

Along the coastal region of the country the seaquake or tsunami resulted in the death of many people. There are more than one million homes that have been totally destroyed and need to be demolished. In many places of the country there is no electricity, including Santiago, nor drinkable water nor gas. The gas stations have no gas and even if they do they cannot sell because there is no electricity. The highways have taken a severe blow to their infrastructure. Hundreds of bridges are down which makes traveling impossible. The airport is inoperable so no flights are going out. Everything is broken.. They are permitting incoming flights only because the runways are still in good condition, but the passengers get off on the runway and they are taken by bus to the center of Santiago. The supermarkets are practically empty. There is no food. (We are beginning to feel the effects of the lack of food resources. I tell you this because we are feeling it ourselves.) In many places the people are starting to loot in order to get food. Unfortunately, many delinquents are participating in this and they rob places like hardware stores and other businesses… The government had to declare Martial Law to control the situation, placing the military on the streets. We have lost complete contact with the directors of the radio stations we work together with because there is NO telephone connection.

Well, they’re telling me that my time is up. Another person is here waiting to go on-line. So, I close until the next time unable to tell you when that will be…