The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released 300,000 Swiss francs (279,000 USD/ 205,000 €) from its emergency funds to support the Chilean Red Cross relief operation to deliver assistance to people affected by the strong earthquake that struck Chile at about 03:30 local time on 27 February.
According to the latest government figures, more than 100 people have died, and dozens are injured. Aftershocks continue to shake the country. Communications and electricity lines have been cut and information on deaths, injuries and damages from many regions is still sparse.
The epicentre was located near the town of Maule, approximately 350 kilometers southwest of Santiago, the capital, and 91 kilometres north-northeast of the town of Concepcion in the moderately-populated region of Bio-Bio. Houses in this rural region are made of mud bricks, and could therefore have suffered severe damages. The Chilean Red Cross has 29 branches in the region of Bio-Bio and 14 branches in the region of Maule, both of which were affected by the earthquake.
The tremor caused buildings and roads to collapse in Santiago, sending thousands of people into the streets. This is the country’s strongest earthquake in 25 years. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reported that sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. There is still no information on its impact.
The Chilean Red Cross Society (CRCS) immediately activated its response mechanisms and mobilized its emergency intervention teams and volunteers. The CRCS is working with the National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI). “Since early this morning, two volunteers of the Red Cross have been sitting in the National Crisis Room. The headquarters of the Red Cross here in Santiago are functioning with a generator, since we have no electricity. We are working very hard to contact the branches in the affected areas, to assess their damages,” explains Lorenza Donoso Oyarce. President of the Chilean Red Cross.
For its part, in addition to releasing emergency funding, the IFRC has sent out information alerts to global and regional emergency response teams. In addition, its Pan American Disaster Response Unit, based in Panama, has a team of experts ready to be deployed.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Chile, which is part of the Pacific “ring-of-fire” tectonic-plate boundary, and many buildings are constructed to withstand tremors. The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same region on 22 May, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left two million homeless.