Chileans pick through debris after powerful quake; 10 dead
- 9 years ago
Residents picked through the rubble of destroyed buildings in central Chile on Thursday after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake killed 10 people and sent powerful waves barreling into coastal areas, forcing more than 1 million people from their homes.
Violent aftershocks continued to shake the South American country on Thursday morning and local residents said they feared another big quake, although the government lifted its tsunami warning.
"Everything is a mess.
It was a disaster, a total loss.
Bottles and glasses shattered and the pipes in the bathroom and kitchen burst," said restaurant owner Melisa Pinones in the city of Illapel, near the epicenter of Wednesday's quake.
The government had ordered evacuations from coastal areas after the powerful quake hit, seeking to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in 2010 when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami and hundreds were killed.
Violent aftershocks continued to shake the South American country on Thursday morning and local residents said they feared another big quake, although the government lifted its tsunami warning.
"Everything is a mess.
It was a disaster, a total loss.
Bottles and glasses shattered and the pipes in the bathroom and kitchen burst," said restaurant owner Melisa Pinones in the city of Illapel, near the epicenter of Wednesday's quake.
The government had ordered evacuations from coastal areas after the powerful quake hit, seeking to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in 2010 when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami and hundreds were killed.