Friday, August 17, 2007
EARTH QUAKE - REPORT FROM CHINCHA
I received this report from a member of the Cathedral congregation who was in touch by radio with a friend in Chincha, one of the worst affected areas.... "Just to give you an idea .... almost all the buildings have fallen down. There's no food or water. Medicines are scarce and there's no electricity nor telephones. They are selling candles at S/.10 each, that's US$3 each!
There are (dead) bodies all around and they can't be got out and there isn't any medical help. There is nobody to remove the corpses and the sense of grief and mourning invades the whole scene in such a way that we can't begin to take it in.
Not much is known about Pisco. I have a great friend there who works in the fishing port and we haven't heard anything from him. I know you'll understand the state of families in this sort of situation.
My suggestion at this time of such anguish is to begin a campaign, to gather candles, bottles of water, chlorine tablets (for water), batteries for flash lights and flash lights (torches), tinned food, blankets, large plastic bags for the dead - they don't have coffins and it would be almost impossible to get them there with the roads being in the state they are....."
If you live outside Peru, please send donations. The details are set out in the news report below.
