Death Toll Rises as Aftershocks Rock Peru

Written by Stephanie Kriner, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

June 26, 2001 —  Rescuers continued Tuesday to sift through the rubble from a magnitude-7.9 earthquake that rocked Peru as the death toll from the temblor rose to 97, with reports slowly trickling in from isolated villages. Meanwhile, aftershocks rattled the nerves of thousands left homeless and scrounging for scarce tents, food and water.

The temblor, which struck Saturday afternoon, was centered about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of the coastal city of Arequipa. Some 1,169 people were injured and 53 were missing, according to figures recently released by civil defense authorities.

The quake toppled adobe homes and stone buildings, forcing thousands to camp out in public parks and stadiums in cold winter weather. Most of the damage and fatalities occurred in the towns of Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna, according to officials and media reports. Arequipa Mayor Manuel Guillin said that 70 percent of the homes in his town were damaged.

Peruvian authorities have declared the quake-ravaged region a disaster area and asked for international assistance. The government has sent doctors and medical technicians from other areas to help the injured.

Rescue and aid delivery has been hampered by rockslides that cut off roads leading to some affected villages. The first two cargo planes stocked with 22 tons of aid headed to the quake-ravaged region on Sunday.

"The most important thing is to support work on search and rescue to get those people who are injured, then immediately to look after the people who are homeless," Ian Logan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told the BBC. Some 430 Peruvian Red Cross volunteers are providing first aid to the injured and participating in search and rescue operations.

The American Red Cross has sent a small team to assist the Peruvian Red Cross in the aftermath of the quake. It also is sending cash assistance as well as plastic sheeting for shelter and blankets for the Peruvian Red Cross to distribute to quake survivors. The U.S. government made an emergency donation of $100,000, which will be used primarily to provide water, blankets and material to create shelters for those who lost their homes, according to the U.S. State Department.

Much of Arequipa's damage occurred in a historic part of town, where 250-year old homes toppled and the tower of an ancient church crumbled. The cathedral was first constructed in 1656, but rebuilt after an earthquake in 1868.

The quake triggered a tsunami, or giant wave, that crashed into the seaport town of Camana on Saturday, destroying more houses, killing 20 people and leaving 20 more missing, Red Cross officials said. The wave also damaged the ports of Camana and Chala.

Peru is intermittently shaken by quakes, including a 7.7-magnitude temblor on May 31, 1970, that killed about 70,000 people.

On November 12, 1996, 17 people were killed and some 1,500 were injured when a 7.7-magnitude quake stuck. On May 30, 1990, a 6.3-magnitude temblor left 137 people dead in northern Peru.

Meanwhile, aftershocks add to the woes of quake survivors. A magnitude-5.7 quake was recorded Tuesday morning, according to the Earth Sciences Observatory in Strasbourg, France. Observatory spokeswoman Christiane Nicoli described the aftershock as "very big" and warned that others could follow.

Related articles:

• Earthquake in Peru (a collection of articles and press releases about the earthquake and the Red Cross response)