Thursday, March 4, 2010

Quake survivors await aid as aftershocks rattle Chile

Concepcion, Chile (CNN) -- More aftershocks rocked parts of Chile early Thursday, five days after a massive earthquake that killed more than 800 people.

A 4.9-magnitude aftershock struck near the already devastated Maule region about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It came hours after a 6.1-magnitude aftershock struck near Valparaiso, raising fears that damaged buildings could topple.

More than 120 aftershocks of 5.0 magnitude or greater have hit Chile since Saturday's 8.8-magnitude earthquake, USGS geophysicist Don Blakeman said.

The disaster's death toll had risen to 802 by Wednesday, with nearly 600 of those occurring in the Maule region, the National Emergency Office said. Nineteen people were missing, said Patricio Rosende, the country's assistant interior secretary.

No comments:

Post a Comment