PERU:
On Saturday, 23 June at 3:30 p.m., a
major earthquake shook the southern coast of Peru (6.9 on the Richter scale
according to Peru's Geophysical Institute and 7.9 according to the U.S.
Geological Survey). The epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean, 190
km. east of Arequipa, at a depth of 33 km.
The earthquake shook regions located as far as 500 km from the epicenter, including the cities of Arica and Antofagasta in Chile and La Paz, Bolivia. Peru's Geophysical Institute reports an intensity of VI on the Mercalli scale in the cities of Arequipa, Mollendo and Camaná; V in Moquegua and Ilo; IV in Tacna, Ica and Cusco; III in Puno and II in Lima.
All telephone and commercial TV and radio broadcasts were cut off and had not been reestablished at the time of this report. This has made it difficult to precisely evaluate damages. However, a variety of sources report serious damages to old buildings, principally in the cities of Arequipa (approximately 1 million inhabitants) and Moquegua.(approx. 135000 inhabitants.)
Authorities in Arequipa requested Peru's interim president, Valentín Paniagua, to declare a state of emergency in the southern region of the country. In response, President Paniagua, accompanied by several Ministers, traveled on Sunday to the affected areas.
Government sources have not yet released official figures on the number of dead and injured, however sources such as the Civil Defense, firefighters and Red Cross in the affected areas list at least 31 dead (17 in Arequipa and 14 in Moquegua). This number will certainly increase as the assessment of the situation continues.
The health sector is evaluating damages and needs and reports hundreds of injured are being treated in local Ministry of Health and Social Security hospitals in Arequipa, Moquegua y Tacna. The majority does not require hospitalization or emergency surgery.
The Disaster Office of the Ministry of Health has informed that, for the time being, they do not require medicines or other supplies, because 50 kits containing medicines and supplies to treat 5,000 injured during the first 72 hours were already on hand in Arequipa. In addition, Saturday night, health personnel traveled to the affected area with additional kits for distribution.
This Office also issued preliminary reports of damages to health infrastructure, principally in the Goyeneche Hospital in Arequipa, a colonial-era building that had to be partially evacuated because of serious structural cracks and collapsed walls.
Regarding two other hospitals in Arequipa: the level III Honorio Delgado Hospital has cracks in the walls which do not affect its structural integrity and continues to operate using emergency generators and water supply and the Nacional del Sur Hosptial, a level III facility which belongs to the Social Security system, did not suffer serious damages.
The hospital in Moquegua continues in use although the extent of the damage is not known.
Tacna: The Hipólito Unánue Hospital of the Ministry of Health and the Calamá Hospital (Social Security) suffered minor damage and continue in use.
CHILE:
Staff from the WHO Collaborating Center in Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities arrived on Sunday, 24 June, in the northern area of Chile which was affected by the earthquake.
In the north of Chile no serious damage was reported and all hospitals continue functioning. The hospital in Arica has no electricity and is functioning with emergency generators. Apparently there are no problems with the water supply, although some damage was caused by loose tiles and plaster from the walls. Further damages will be assessed on Monday.
The other major hospitals are reporting no damage for the time being. In Arica, there is widespread destruction among adobe structures.