By Heidi Isaza, WVUS Comms Officer
- At Maule province, bridges suffered structural damage and governmental authorities were unable to reach the quake’s most devasted areas to determine the actual scope of the tragedy.
- Tsunami waves struck several coastal areas of Bio Bio and Maule. Hundreds of people living in the coast fled to the nearby hills. Unfortunately, they completely lost their homes and belongings.
- Maule and Bio Bio have no basic services such as electricity, portable water, telephone network and Internet.
- Chile’s main highway suffered severe damage in several parts.
- Hospitals from the big cities of Parral and Talca suffered important structural damage.
- Street riots and supermarket-looting are evident given the desperation of the people to get some food and safe drinking water.
- Some fires have started, such as in the School of Chemistry at the University of Concepción.
- Damaged roads and poor airplane access have greatly limited the support of the central government and NGOs such as World Vision. These have intensified social turmoil exacerbated by people´s post traumatic stress due to the constant daily aftershocks.
- Many families do not want to go back to their homes and prefer to stay in streets and public parks.
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Summer vacations were coming to an end in Chile and Constanza Quiroga, 8, a World Vision sponsored child had stayed out late Friday night with her family.
Then, the disaster struck.
“I was going to bed when the shaking started. It was slow at first. Afterwards, it got much stronger,” Constanza recalled.
Earthquakes are nothing new for Chile or for these children.
“I thought it was like the other earthquakes before when all of a sudden, the computer screen fell and my mom and dad started screaming,” said Melina, 15, elder sister of Constanza.
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| World Vision sponsored child Constanza Quiroga is optimistic about Chile’s future even though her own home was completely destroyed during the quake. |
When the girls heard their parents yelling, they tried to get out of their room but were unable to do so. “We couldn’t open the door,” said Constanza.
Eventually, their dad managed to pry open the door and the whole family quickly escaped their home.
“We went to the top of a hill,” Constanza shuddered as she recalled the incident. “It felt like the whole earth was going to open.”
When the shaking finally stopped and the sun came up, Constanza and Milena went with their parents to see their house, or what was left of it.
They found it knocked completely off its foundation, with big gaps between the walls and the floors.
“I was very sad. I didn’t think it would end up like that,” said Constanza, her voice trembling. “It wasn’t my house anymore and I cried a lot.”
Constanza also carried an extra burden. “I felt bad because my sponsor had earlier on sent money so that I am able to build my room.”
Today, Constanza, her sister and parents are all sleeping together in a tent with other families from the neighbourhood whose houses were also damaged or destroyed in the February 27 earthquake.
“I dream that this city can be fixed and that I can have a house again. I thank God that we are all alive,” said Constanza.
The child remains hopeful: “Maybe God allowed this to happen so I can have a better house, a prettier house.”
World Vision is working hard to help the survivors of the earthquake in Chile.
The day we visited Constanza, World Vision provided food and water to 5,000 people in Lota, Chile. 1,000 blankets and diapers were also distributed.
With the rainy season on its way, World Vision will be giving out 1,000 tents to families.
And for children like Constanza, who have to relive the memory of this terrible day because of the constant aftershocks, World Vision is installing Child Friendly Spaces in Lota, Coronel, and Dichato.
These spaces will provide children with a safe place to go during the day — a place to play, to do art and crafts, to return to some routine and to process what happened with their peers. Also on standby are several psychologists who will help these children deal with the trauma that they are facing.
I WISH TO HELP!
Thousands of children and families are devastated by the earthquake in Chile. Your contribution will help our staff members rush emergency assistance to those in greatest need following the disaster.
Click here to help now!
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