By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
After the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for the victims of the massive earthquake that struck Chile early Saturday morning, asking God to send them relief and courage.
“I pray for the victims and am spiritually close to the people tested by such a grave calamity,” the Pope said from St. Peter’s Square yesterday. “For these I implore from God relief from the suffering and courage in this adversity.”
The 8.8 magnitude quake, which is the second largest quake in recorded history, struck at 3:34 a.m. local time on Feb. 27 near the Chilean city of Concepcion. At least 708 people are known to have died thus far, and more than a million homes have been destroyed or badly damaged.
Some coastal towns were nearly obliterated when a tsunami triggered by the quake rushed into the streets, either carrying off houses or reducing them to rubble.
“We are confronting an emergency without parallel in Chile’s history,” said Chilean president Michele Bachelet, a medical doctor, during a televised address.
She said the quake had impacted 80 percent of the country’s population of 16 million but said it would be several days before the full impact of the disaster is determined.
“It is still not possible to fully quantify the effects of this catastrophe,” she said, and called upon citizens to use water, electricity and fuel rationally.
Thus far, she has ordered troops to help deliver food, water and blankets and clear rubble from roads, and has urged power companies to restore service first to hospitals, health clinics and shelters. Field hospitals were planned for hard-hit Concepcion, Talca and Curico.
She also ordered authorities to quickly identify the dead and return them to their families to ensure “the dignified burials that they deserve.”
“We are trying by every means possible to bring the country back to normal,” Bachelet said. “We are making every effort to re-establish power supply and telecommunications.”
Bachelet, who has only two weeks left to serve in her term, thanked the global community for offering aid to Chile.
Since January, Chile has been heavily involved in sending aid to Haiti after that country was hit by a 7.0 quake in January that devastated the poor island nation.
“Yesterday it was our turn to help out in Haiti,” Bachelet said. “Today it is our turn to receive this solidarity.”
Thus far, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Russia, Ecuador, Great Britain, the U.S. , the United Nations and the Holy Father have all extended wishes and offers of aid to Chile.
The U.N. said today that it would begin rushing aid deliveries to Chile following Bachelet’s announcement that she was seeking international aid.
According to U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs, Chile is seeking temporary bridges, field hospitals, satellite phones, electric generators, damage assessment teams, water purification systems, field kitchens and dialysis centers.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
