Peru Earthquake

[HonkyTonk]

Strong Quake Kills at Least 17 in Peru

By LESLIE JOSEPHS,
AP
Posted: 2007-08-15 22:18:43
LIMA, Peru (AP) - A powerful earthquake shook Peru's coast near the capital on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people as it toppled buildings and caused hundreds to flee office buildings in Lima. A tsunami warning was issued for South America's Pacific coast

The highly respected Cable new station Canal N reported that a church in the city of Ica south of Lima collapsed, killing 17 people and injuring 70.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit about 90 miles southeast of Lima at a depth of about 25 miles.

The quake toppled houses and caused panic in the capital. A short and weaker aftershock followed.

Associated Press reporters said the quake shook Lima for more than a minute and that some homes had collapsed in the city's center.

Firefighters said some street lights and windows shattered in Lima and that hundreds of workers were evacuated from office buildings and remained outside, fearing aftershocks.

The quake also knocked out telephone service and mobile phone service in the capital. Firefighters were called to put out a fire in a shopping center.

Callers to Radio Programas, Peru's main news station, said parts of several cities in southern Peru had been hit with blackouts.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia, and a tsunami watch from Panama to Mexico.

It also issued a tsunami advisory for the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The last time a quake of magnitude 7.0 or larger struck Peru's central coast was in 1974 when a magnitude 7.6 hit in October followed by a 7.2 a month later.

The latest Peru quake occurred in a subduction zone where one section of the Earth's crust dives under another, said USGS geophysicist Dale Grant at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo.

Some of the world's biggest quakes strike in subduction zones including the catastrophic Indian Ocean temblor in 2004 that generated deadly tsunami waves.

Associated Press writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

[Lostagain]

The latest news I've seen puts the death toll at 337 -- 200 of whom were in a church. I pray it does not go higher.

[Micky10]

LA -

My heart breaks for the Peurvians. I am sure that the toll will be much higher, with the lack of communications, the number of buildings that are not re-enforced. I hope, that as usual, we step up big with relief. Peru is not in good shape economically, real unemployment may be as high as 40%. This may really drain the country in many ways. They will need a ton of help, I am sorry, I do not have the words.

Love - Micky

[Charlie640]

I am really saddened by this, but not surprised. I don't know what God is thinking when he does things like this to people that have virtually nothing to begin with, and have a hard enough life as is.
I put a call into my gal pal but cellphones appear to be down in Lima.

[HonkyTonk]

The death toll is now over 450 and climbing. These poor people...

Here's an email I got from my Peruvian amiga:

"Hi Dear (Tonk):
Thank you for write me. Yes my family is ok. But i am nervious yet. Al that was terrible until now we have 380 died people and more than 400 hurt people. the erathquake was 7.9 in Ritcher was very very hard. My mom was alone and i could talk with her ans she was goos, she is strong, but when she finish talk with me she was curting her voice and i was desesperate, but i couldnt find busses , nor taxis, i thought walk until my house but after i found a full bus and back at home.
All the people in the street crying, and after in the TV said that the people go to other place coz we can get a Sunami. all the people run .
I couldnt sleep all night. all the earth move yet. imagine how was the earthquake that all the country felt that. and Peru is not small.
Now the president said that the kidsn dont go at school. and in the university will be free until monday.
Well thank you again for write me, hugs and kisses

******"

If you have people you care about near Lima, now is the time to find out if they're ok and help them out any way you can...

[BIG E]

That really sucks.

[RexB]

Just got off the phone with my novia in Lima. She is upset even now about what happened. She told me that her and her Mother ran out into the street and watched the house swaying to and fro. The street light poles bending and then sparks from the short circuits. She said it was like relampago in the night. If you ever saw there electric delivery service this is no wonder. She told me that they had about 12 after shocks that were pretty bad also. Luckily her and her family are all ok. Pretty shook up and quite disraught for all of the people that got hit so hard. Many of the towns near the epicenter were ones that i went to last January. She tells me that some of those places are flat now with not a house standing. This will be very hard on these people. Many of them are so poor and now they have absolutley nothing. My prayers are with them for some time to come.

Te Amo Peru, Rex

[Clay]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...ry/205956.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...ry/208968.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...ry/205750.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...ry/208028.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/worl...ry/215285.html

[Charlie640]

Spoke to my gal pal in Lima also. She was in the street... and she said lots of windows came crashing down. Said atleast one person was killed in Lima. They had after shocks for MANY days there after. I was thrilled to hear that her and some friends who had a truck, loaded it up with cloths etc and headed for Ica to drop them off.