Deaths and Injuries from Earthquake in Peru

Deaths and Injuries from Earthquake in Peru



Aug. 2007  - A powerful earthquake struck Peru's 
central coast at 18:40 local time Wednesday, shaking buildings in the 
capital, prompting a tsunami warning, killing hundreds of people and 
injuring at least 1,500 others. More deaths and injuries are being 
reported hourly. 
Peru's Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said in a radio broadcast early 
Thursday that the quake had claimed at least 115 lives. 
The nation's civil defense agency, which is in charge of rescue efforts, 
then said on its website that more than 330 people have died. 
Later this afternoon, Roberto Ognio, deputy chief of Peru's fire 
department, said the death toll from the quake had risen to 510. 
The quake caused cars to jump and shattered windows of some downtown Lima 
buildings. People fled into the streets of Lima, and communities closer to 
the epicenter, near the hardest hit city of Ica, a city of 650,000 people 
located 165 miles southeast of the capital.

 
The quake measured magnitude 7.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, 
and four strong aftershocks were felt following the main quake. 
The epicenter was placed at about 90 miles southeast of Lima at a depth of 
about 25 miles, according to the Geophysics Institute of Peru. 
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had issued a tsunami warning for 11 
South and Central American countries immediately after the earthquake hit, 
but withdrew it after two hours. 
Based in U.S. state of Hawaii, the Center said its earlier warning was 
canceled for all the countries originally included in its advisory - Peru, 
Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El 
Salvador, Mexico and Honduras. 
Among the dead are 17 people killed in Ica when the Señor de Luren church 
in Ica collapsed during a church service. 
The Peruvian Civil Defence System is currently setting up a situation room 
to respond to the emergency. 
Electricity and telecommunications have been cut off in some areas and all 
flights from the international airport in Lima have been temporarily 
halted. 
Shortly after the earthquakes, Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez made a 
national statement confirming that all national authorities are on high 
alert to respond to the situation and that all health services and centers 
must be on red alert.


The president requested all doctors to make themselves available and said 
that all services should be free of charge for all those who may need 
them. 
President Garcia said that he will be in continuous meeting with his 
cabinet to find ways to assist Peruvians during this time of "anguish." 
The president announced that all schools would be closed tomorrow and he 
urged school administrations to check the safety of their buildings before 
continuing classes. 
The Peruvian Red Cross immediately mobilized a National Intervention Team 
to the region of the epicentre to evaluate the situation. 
The Pan American Disaster Response Unit in Panama is on standby to send 
tents, blankets, jerry cans and other provisions by plane if needs are 
confirmed. Funds from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund are 
being made available to support the response if needed. 
The Chilean and Colombian Red Cross have offered their support to the 
National Society in Peru if needed. 
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is 
releasing 250,000 Swiss francs (US$205,000/ €153,000) from its Disaster 
Relief Emergency Fund to start mobilizing assistance for the victims of 
Wednesday's quake. 
President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush expressed condolences to the 
people of Peru. A White House spokesman today said the United States 
stands ready to provide assistance based on the needs identified by the 
government of Peru, as well as United States government teams there. 
There is currently a USAID team on the ground in Lima, assessing the 
situation and working in conjunction with the government of Peru. U.S. 
search and rescue teams are on standby should they be needed. 
"The government of Canada is immediately providing C$2 million for relief 
and recovery efforts and is in the process of identifying experienced 
partner organizations in Peru to respond to the situation," said Minister 
of International Cooperation Beverley Oda. 
World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, Pamela Cox, 
expressed today the institution's solidarity and condolences to the people 
and government of Peru for the tragic loss of lives as a result of the 
earthquake. 
In a letter addressed to President Garcia, Cox wrote, "We are closely 
monitoring the situation, especially in the Ica region, which has been the 
hardest hit in terms of human loss." 
"We are ready to support the reconstruction efforts in the way the 
government of Peru considers appropriate," Cox promised. 
World Bank Country Director in Peru Carlos Felipe Jaramillo and his team 
have approached the Peruvian authorities to assess the best ways to 
implement this support. 

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