SALVATION Army emergency teams in northern Chile are providing support to people affected by a huge earthquake which hit the region on Wednesday 14 November, causing homes and other buildings to collapse, killing two people and injuring 115 others. The initial shock measured 7.7 on the Richter scale and powerful aftershocks have caused further distress.
Lieut-Colonel Susan McMillan, Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army's South America West Territory, reports: ‘The epicentre was in Quillagua, a small oasis in the Atacama desert. The community most severely affected was Tocopilla, where 2,600 homes were destroyed and another 2,500 suffered severe structural damage. The hospital suffered structural damage and the government has sent a field hospital to the town to meet the immediate needs of the community.
'At the time of writing the towns of Tocopilla and Maria Elena are without water. Curiously, in Quillagua, the epicentre of the quake, the effects of the earthquake were much less severe. The quake was also felt strongly in the south of Peru, in Arequipa and Tacna, but no damage or injuries have been reported there.'
 Light streams through damage caused by the earthquake to the Salvation Army outpost in Tocopilla |
Lieut-Colonel McMillan adds that The Salvation Army is part of the communities that were affected by the disaster and that its people are working for others despite suffering their own losses: 'A short time ago The Salvation Army opened an outpost in Tocopilla and a house was purchased and renovated in order to provide an officers' quarters and meeting room. Unfortunately, this house has been completely destroyed. The officer in charge of our outpost, Captain Clauris Morales, was unharmed. Personnel are removing what items of value they can salvage from the building before it is bulldozed, along with other houses in similar condition.
'The neighbourhood around the outpost has been badly hit and our teams of officers from Calama and Antofagasta are serving meals to community members, most of whom are living in tents. The government is bringing in prefabricated temporary dwellings in order to house those who have lost everything, at least until rebuilding can take place. Salvation Army officers are providing counselling and spiritual support as well.'
