Chile TSUNAMI Raw Video

Strong Aftershock Shakes Chile

Another strong aftershock has jolted Chile, nearly a week after the deadly 8.8 magnitude earthquake caused widespread destruction in the South American country. In the badly-hit city of Concepcion, some residents ran into the streets Friday as the magnitude 6.6 tremor shook the area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Concepcion was the city closest to the epicenter of the Feb. 27 quake. Dozens of aftershocks have been reported since the initial quake occurred.

Meanwhile, Chile's ambassador to the United Nations says last week's earthquake cost the nation's economy $30 billion and will cost at least that much to rebuild.

In a briefing with reporters Friday at UN headquarters in New York, Ambassador Heraldo Muñoz said the agriculture and wine industry alone lost $280 million in the initial earthquake. He said the fishing industry took a hard hit as well, with entire fishing villages wiped out.

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, was also at the briefing to represent what she said was the commitment of the international community to helping Chile. She said that next month, she would bring a group of wealthy donors to Chile in an effort to raise money for reconstruction.

Muñoz said a telethon would be held in Chile late Friday and into Saturday to raise funds for relief efforts. Muñoz said he believes visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon may participate in the event. Ban was expected to meet Friday in Santiago with President Michelle Bachelet and President-elect Sebastian Pinera, who takes office March 11. Ban also was expected to visit Concepcion.

Ambassador Muñoz said there are signs the nation is recuperating. He said the capital, Santiago, is operating almost normally. He also noted that while Concepcion is still in bad shape, 58 percent of the city's automatic teller machines are operational.

Chile Thursday declared a three-day mourning period to remember those lost in last Saturday's quake. The official death toll stands at 802, but the ambassador says the figure will be lowered because in some places the missing were counted as dead. Bachelet has said it could take at least three or four years to rebuild the country.

USA OBAMA

US President Barack Obama makes a statement outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on 27 February 2010 on the earthquake in Chile and the possible tsumami in Hawaii.
President Barack Obama turns to leave after speaking to the media about the recent earthquake in Chile outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. Obama called the earthquake "devastating,"and said the U.S. has resources in position to deploy should Chile ask for help.

8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Chile

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile Saturday, killing at least 78 people, according to AP report.


The quake hit some 325 kilometers southwest of the capital, Santiago, at a depth of 35 kilometers at 3:34 a.m. local time, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.


The epicenter was 115 kilometers from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, where more than 200,000 people live, reports said.


Chilean President Michele Bachelet said the death toll was at 78 and rising, and declared a "state of catastrophe," according to AP.


Chilean television showed images of destroyed buildings and damaged cars, with rubble-strewn streets. Bachelet said, "We have had a huge earthquake, with some aftershocks," she added "Despite this, the system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have."


The US Pacific Tsunami warnings issued over all Pacific nations, including South America, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.


A huge wave reached a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 660 kilometers off the Chilean coast, Bachelet said. There were no immediate reports of major damage there, she

added.


The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on May 22, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused damage to the west coast of the United States.