12:00 hours
Situation
1. At 11:40:58 PM UTC/GMT (Greenwich time) 6:34:56 PM local time on August 15th, an earthquake measuring 7.9 degrees in the Richter scale struck the Department of Ica. The epicentre was 25 miles (61 kilometres) west-northwest of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 90 miles (161 kilometres) south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre was 30.2 km depth (18.8 miles). The effects were also strongly felt in the capital, Lima.
2. The last official report issued by the National Institute of Civil Defence (INDECI) informed about the situation up to August 28th, 23:00 hrs:
519 dead
1,366 wounded
58,581 houses destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments.
13,585 houses affected.
103 hospitals affected.
14 hospitals destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments.
National Response
On September 17th INDECI informed of the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Training Service for the Construction Industry (SENCICO) to train local population and technical personnel on standardized house-reconstruction methods. The MoU, which shall be signed on September 18th, will be opened for the participation of other institutions related to house building.
On September 13th INDECI organized a meeting in the Pisco Air base with the participation of international cooperation institutions (IOM, CEAS, ACJ/YMCA, UNDP, UNDAC, COSUDE, MSF, Oxfam, Action Against Hunger, IFRC, Peruvian Red Cross and Unicef) to discuss needs in the water and sanitation sector. In that meeting, the following decisions were taken:
- The Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation will lead the Water and Sanitation working group.
- New latrines will be installed in camps and "Clean Shares" (Lotes Limpios)
- DIGESA informed to have installed 300 latrines in 27 localities
- Cooperation Agencies will inform about the available resources to set up new latrines and provide water supply.
Within the "Clean Share" (Lote Limpio) framework, IOM, the Private Company Gloria and INDECI distributed 1,974 tends and 3,000 blankets in Pisco once debris was removed. Similarly, IOM and Gloria distributed, respectively, 1,800, 2,000 and 380 blankets in Chincha, Ica and Cañete
INDECI also reported that 952 Tons of humanitarian aid are currently stored in the Pisco Air Base, following the distribution below:
Grupo Aéreo No. 51
- Storage No. 1 (INDECI) : 105 Tons of humanitarian aid
- Storage No. 2 (PRONAA): 482 Tons of food aid
Puerto San Martín
- Storage No. 3 (INDECI) : 245 Tons of humanitarian aid, 120 Tons of recycled clothes
INDECI informed that 210,000 m3 of debris have been removed as of September 15th. Furthermore, INDECI reports a total of 12,000 distributed tents. The 24 camps located in Pisco continue to be supported with food and other types of humanitarian aid, from which 4,255 families (21,275 persons) have benefited.
According to INDECI, approximately 12,000 tents have been set up in Pisco, by INDECI and other institutions. Furthermore, 100 latrines have been installed in camps.
INDECI also informed that the assessment of damages has been completed in the province of Pisco. Preliminary results are as follows:
- Collapsed houses: 11,017
- Affected houses: 8,756
- Affected population: 95,472
On September 16th, the Minister of Health visited different camps in the city of Pisco, where he said he had ordered the provision of more latrines and exhorted most vulnerable groups (mothers and children) to follow health personnel's suggestions to comply with minimum hygiene standards in order to prevent epidemic outbreaks.
The Minister of Transportation and Communication (MTC) informed that the PanAmerican Southern Highway (Panamericana Sur), partially damaged by the earthquake in the Kms 177 and 228, has been almost rehabilitated to its full functions. As for the area of the Huamaní Bridge at the km 228, the MTC reported a problem in one of the stirrups, which will demand 45 days of reconstruction works.
Ms. Zavala also reported that the MTC signed a MoU with the Regional Government of Ica in order to repair the highway Chincha Alta - Palca through an extension of 40 kms, for an approximate cost of US $ 50,000 per km. A similar agreement should be signed with the Regional Government of Huancavelica.