Chile Tsunami

Chile Tsunami Pictures

Earthquake's Other Aftermath

Chile Tsunami Aftermath

Photograph by Ivan Alvarado, Reuters

A resident moves debris washed up by tsunamis on March 1, 2010, in Constitución, one of the towns hardest hit by the massive February 27 earthquake in Chile. (See Chile earthquake pictures.)

Of the more than 700 fatalities of the Chile earthquake, many perished in Chile's small coastal towns. The towns were apparently unprepared for the tsunamis, which tossed boats and flattened buildings.

As many as 350 people died in Constitución (map) alone from 33-foot (10-meter) tsunamis, according to the Miami Herald. The town gymnasium has become a makeshift morgue, and a fishing boat sits in the middle of the public square, MSNBC reported.
"My dreams here have died," Karen Espinoza, owner of a ransacked bakery in Constitución, told Dow Jones Newswires.

"What the earthquake didn't take away, the sea took away. And what the sea didn't take, the looters did." [Published March 1, 2010]

Tsunami-Wrecked Boats

Photograph by Martin Bernetti, AFP, Getty Images

Tossed by tsunamis spawned by the giant February 27, 2010, earthquake, fishing boats lie in downtown Talcahuano, Chile, on March 1 (map of Chile).

The Chilean government failed to warn residents about tsunami risks following the giant earthquake, which hit before dawn, Chilean Defense Minister Francisco Vidal acknowledged Sunday. Tsunami warnings were issued, though, in faraway locales such as Hawaii and Japan, though those tsunamis proved to be small.

In Chile, 30 minutes passed between the quake and a large wave that inundated coastal towns, MSNBC reported. [Published March 1, 2010]

Tossed Like Toys by Tsunami

Photograph by Daniel Garcia, AFP, Getty Images

Seen on March 1, 2010, massive cargo containers are strewn across tsunami-damaged buildings in Talcahuano, Chile, following a massive earthquake on February 27.

Many of the devastated coastal towns have shut off water and electricity, and hundreds of thousands of survivors are in need of food and water. [Published March 1, 2010]

Chile Tsunami Survivor

Photograph by Martin Bernetti, AFP, Getty Images

Many towns along Chile's Pacific coast—such as Talcahuano, pictured on March 1, 2010—were devastated by tsunami waves set off by the February 27 earthquake.

Television images show houses torn from their foundations, cars tossed like toys, and the ground covered in shattered wood, MSNBC reported.

More than 75 percent of the village of Dichato was destroyed, community leader David Merino told MSNBC.
"After the earthquake there were three waves," Merino said. "The first two were big and didn't do much damage, but the last one almost wiped the village off the map." [Published March 1, 2010]

Roof Laid Low by Tsunami

Photograph by Martin Bernetti, AFP, Getty Images

Seen on February 28, 2010, a  roof lies on the coast alongside people's belongings after a tsunami generated by the huge February 27 earthquake hit the town of Penco, Chile.

Chile has been hit by numerous strong aftershocks, and looters have pillaged stores. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet ordered grocery stores on Monday to give away food in order to help victims and quell looting, ABC World News reported. [Published March 1, 2010]

Tsunami-Tipped Car in Chile

Photograph by Ivan Alvarado, Reuters

People peer into a vehicle tipped over by tsunamis on February 28 in Pelluhue, near the epicenter of a giant Chile earthquake that struck a day earlier.

The fifth strongest quake ever recorded has left more than two million people without shelter and many without food, which has led Chile to request international aid from the United Nations, USA Today reported. [Published March 1, 2010]

Surveying Tsunami Damage

Photograph by Victor Ruiz Caballero, Reuters

A police officer inspects debris in Pelluhue, Chile, close to the epicenter of the February 27, 2010, earthquake. The temblor generated tsunamis that slammed many coastal towns, killing hundreds.

Chilean rescuers used shovels and sledgehammers on Sunday to find survivors, many of whom are still trapped in the rubble. [Published March 1, 2010]

Original Pic : National Geographic .com