http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8540289.stm
QuoteMassive earthquake strikes Chile
A massive earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile.
The quake struck at 0634 GMT about 91km (56 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 317km south-west of the capital, Santiago.
Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet said that she had reports of six deaths so far and could not rule out that there might be more.
The US issued an initial tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
That was later extended to Colombia, Antarctica, Panama and Costa Rica.
Japan's meteorological agency has warned of a potential tsunami across large areas of the Pacific.
President Bachelet called on people to remain calm and contact the authorities if they needed help.
Ms Bachelet, who has now gone into an emergency meeting, said that there were areas of the country where communications were down and teams were working to restore them.
Buildings in Santiago were reported to have shaken for between 10 and 30 seconds, with the loss of electricity and communications.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 35km.
It said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west of Santiago, with a wave height of 1.29m above normal sea level.
One journalist speaking to Chilean national television from the city of Temuco, 600km south of Santiago, said many people there had left their homes, determined to spend the rest of the night outside. Some people on the streets were in tears.
Mark Winstanley, who contacted the BBC from Vina del Mar, 100km north-west of Santiago, said buildings had shaken and electricity and phone connections were cut but he could see no structural damage yet.
A university professor in Santiago, Cristian Bonacic, said that this was a massive quake but that the cities seemed to have resisted well. Internet communications were working but not mobile phones.
Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.
Would Pinochet or Allende have been able to prevent this? What's the role of the CIA in this turn of events?
Ah crap, that's even stronger than Haiti :( Hopefully as it's not so poor a country they will have better infrastructure and less deaths.
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
It's called "colour", doughnut. By quoting what the Chilean journalist reported, it gives readers a mental picture of the situation on the ground and the impact to locals of losing their homes and livelihoods.
Or are you in the Berlusconi camp and think they should treat it as a camping holiday?
It doesn't seem to have been near any major population centers so hopefully there weren't many casualties.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 27, 2010, 04:53:34 AM
It doesn't seem to have been near any major population centers
raciss
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
:huh:
Quote from: Jaron on February 27, 2010, 05:08:22 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
:huh:
Just the facts, ma'am.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidesocal.com%2Ftomhoffarth%2Fdragnet.jpg&hash=a2bef5f7677bbe7ffbdce00071815e18220e116b)
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
If they were crying because their local GLBT book store collapsed, you wouldn't have said shit. So fuck off.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 27, 2010, 06:37:49 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
If they were crying because their local GLBT book store collapsed, you wouldn't have said shit. So fuck off.
Is it just my perception, or has Marti recently doubled the percentage of his posts in which he says incredibly stupid things?
Quote from: grumbler on February 27, 2010, 10:59:51 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 27, 2010, 06:37:49 AM
Quote from: Martinus on February 27, 2010, 04:20:30 AM
QuoteSome people on the streets were in tears.
What a retarded line in the report. Some people on the streets were in tears after walking out of a fucking "Titanic" movie. Stupid emotional journalism devoid of information content.
If they were crying because their local GLBT book store collapsed, you wouldn't have said shit. So fuck off.
Is it just my perception, or has Marti recently doubled the percentage of his posts in which he says incredibly stupid things?
He's gotten stupider. He'll claim he is trolling however.
Quote from: grumbler on February 27, 2010, 10:59:51 AMIs it just my perception, or has Marti recently doubled the percentage of his posts in which he says incredibly stupid things?
I was thinking the same thing just yesterday. He's getting more and more incoherent with age.
Quote from: Maximus on February 27, 2010, 11:12:11 AM
He's getting more and more incoherent with age.
It's the cock in his mouth.
feltching causes brain damage.
QuoteScores confirmed dead.
Sorry, Chile. We shot our wad with Haiti. Might be some leftovers up there.
Surf's up.
QuoteHawaii braced Saturday for a potentially damaging tsunami, after a massive earthquake off Chile sent waves across the Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning — its highest alert — for Hawaii, where incoming waves could cause damage along the coastlines across the island chain. A warning was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands.
The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. Saturday (4:19 p.m. EST).
Cowabunga dudes :(
I have a friend in the region where the earthquake tool place, in the northern suburbs of the city near the epicenter. We haven't heard anything from her yet.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 27, 2010, 04:53:34 AM
It doesn't seem to have been near any major population centers so hopefully there weren't many casualties.
Concepción, 90 km. away from the epicenter, is the 2nd biggest city of Chile. More than one million people live in the area.
Tidal waves, goddammit.
Quote from: Neil on February 27, 2010, 12:17:46 PM
Tidal waves, goddammit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_wave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami
A tsunami
is a tidal wave, Neil; it's also specifically reserved for a tidal wave directly caused by seismic activity. :contract:
We didn't win WWII to speak Japanese.
Hope Chile is okay. Was playing a game with an incompetent chilean girl yesterday. They are the cream of the south american crop.
Quote from: Neil on February 27, 2010, 12:17:46 PM
Tidal waves, goddammit.
Tidal waves are caused by the moon.
A few friends flew out to Maui yesterday for their spring break holidays (teachers)
:o
So any more news about the punami?
Quote from: CountDeMoney on February 27, 2010, 06:37:49 AM
If they were crying because their local GLBT book store collapsed, you wouldn't have said shit. So fuck off.
:D
Quote from: The Brain on February 27, 2010, 05:53:58 PM
So any more news about the punami?
Geraldo rushed to the scene, which resulted in nothing happening. :)
Quote from: Lettow77 on February 27, 2010, 02:21:11 PMThey are the cream of the spanish south american crop.
fixed ;)
Quote from: grumbler on February 27, 2010, 10:59:51 AM
Is it just my perception, or has Marti recently doubled the percentage of his posts in which he says incredibly stupid things?
From 100% to 200%?
:huh:
Quote from: Neil on February 27, 2010, 02:00:53 PM
We didn't win WWII to speak Japanese.
And there's no such grade as "kindergarten," right? :rolleyes:
Quote from: C.C.R. on February 28, 2010, 12:58:26 AM
Quote from: grumbler on February 27, 2010, 10:59:51 AM
Is it just my perception, or has Marti recently doubled the percentage of his posts in which he says incredibly stupid things?
From 100% to 200%?
:huh:
Maybe he's just doubling up, saying twice as many stupid things per post.
Quote from: The Larch on February 27, 2010, 12:03:11 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on February 27, 2010, 04:53:34 AM
It doesn't seem to have been near any major population centers so hopefully there weren't many casualties.
Concepción, 90 km. away from the epicenter, is the 2nd biggest city of Chile. More than one million people live in the area.
Didn't realize it was so close. However Chile has one of Latin America's strongest economies and has good building standards so it looks like this wasn't nearly as damaging as it could have been.
What a bunch of cake eaters. Here in Detroit we don't need earthquakes to collapse social order:
QuoteWithout official help, Chileans organize to protect themselves as quake collapses social order
TALCAHUANO, Chile (AP) — One man swings a thick metal chain. Another grips an ax. An older gentleman favors a wooden pole. And a 20-year-old spoiling for a fight has prepared a garrote — a menacing wire tied between two handles — to confront any intruders.
These and hundreds of other survivors of Chile's devastating earthquake have organized neighborhood watch groups, arming themselves and barricading streets to protect their damaged homes from looters. The groups have stepped in as police were overwhelmed by looting and soldiers were slow to restore order after an earthquake and tsunami.
"We take care of ourselves here," said 51-year-old Maria Cortes. She stood watch in Poblacion Libertad — "Freedom Community" — a gritty collection of small duplexes along an industrial road in the port town of Talcahuano. About 2,000 people live here around a common area three football fields long.
Most of Talcahuano was destroyed by Saturday's magnitude-8.8 quake and tsunami, which ravaged a 700-kilometer (435-mile) stretch of Chile's Pacific coast. Downed bridges and damaged or debris-strewn highways made transit difficult if not impossible in many areas. The official death toll reached 799 on Wednesday.
But Poblacion Libertad largely escaped damage. Here, residents talk about the "human earthquake" — a growing desperation of people without power, water, cooking gas and food. Many of its residents join the looting, taking food, drinks and anything else they can use from ruined stores — but return home fearful that others will do the same to them.
Others say they're forced by need to leave their damaged homes for food and water, only to find what little they have left has been stolen.
And so they have organized.
The men got planks of wood from a nearby lumber yard and nailed them to block entryways to the clusters of homes. They erected a barrier along an access road. The crime watch runs 24 hours.
"Each one organizes and protects his own entrance," said Cecilia San Hueza, 28. "We whistle to advise if there is anything suspicious."
So far, Poblacion Libertad has had only false alarms. Someone blew a whistle in the middle of the night, prompting hundreds of residents to run into the common. Nearby soldiers enforcing a 6 p.m.-to-noon curfew fired shots in the air to make everyone go back inside.
Elizabeth Ocampo, a 21-year-old resident of Poblacion Libertad, said firefighters arrived late this week to fight a blaze in the complex because they were busy combatting looting and arson elsewhere. Five units burned to the ground.
Throughout the quake zone, survivors lived in fear and fed on rumors of roving mobs. Gunfire punctuated the night in Concepcion, Lota and other towns.
The eruption of banditry shocked the nation and put President Michelle Bachelet on the defensive. Chile's much-praised urban rescue teams were hampered by slow-to-arrive equipment — and the looting of their local base in Concepcion.
Almost everywhere, citizens have banded together to eat, get water and protect damaged or destroyed homes.
On Wednesday, Concepcion residents found nearly every block of their city occupied by rifle-toting soldiers. They enforced a curfew that expired at noon, questioned people at checkpoints every few blocks downtown — an area where the citizen crime patrols are prominent — and allowed firefighters to inspect and bar access to damaged buildings. Troops arrested 35 suspected looters overnight.
Military helicopters carrying aid left Concepcion for outlying areas. But most businesses in the city remained closed, power was out almost everywhere, and residents lifted water from a river to flush toilets.
Lt. Col. Juan Carlos Andrades, in charge of the logistical effort, said 100 tractor-trailers arrived overnight from Santiago with food and other supplies. Solders worked through the night packing flour, cooking oil, canned beans, tea and other supplies into plastic shopping bags for distribution. They tossed the bags from dump trucks winding their way through city streets.
In Hualpen, a poor community on the outskirts of Concepcion, Sonia Garrido and her neighbors had felled trees across a street to protect their neighborhood. Volunteer guards sit around bonfires at night. Collectively, neighbors make bread and share it. Some draw brackish, smelly water from a lagoon and grumble about the lack of government aid.
"We're bad off," said Garrido, 46. "No water, no electricity. They care nothing about us."
Garrido's son armed himself with a garrote and joined a local crime watch whose other members wielded knives and pistols. But it didn't make Garrido feel much safer. She worries they'll kill someone.
She also worries that criminals will get in anyway, simply by wearing twisted plastic bags that patrol members use as armbands to identify themselves.
"I'm destroyed," Garrido said. "Last night I heard gunfire all around me. They're looting things and walking around with rifles doing anything they want. Nowhere is safe."
Like her neighbors, she must make the stressful decision each day of briefly abandoning her home so she can fill a wheelbarrow with water from a system that in normal times irrigates a traffic circle.
Under a state of emergency declared by Bachelet on Sunday, about 14,000 troops were sent into the quake zone. They can shoot to kill if necessary. The military says that hasn't happened.
A homeowner shot and killed a young man entering his house in the town of Chiguayante, El Mercurio newspaper reported.
In Concepcion, an unknown number of looters set fire to the El Polar department store Tuesday and were caught inside by the flames. Their bodies have yet to be recovered.
At least there's some hope for a better tomorrow at the end of the article. :)