No word if any companies will be responding to this disaster. I will assume that Chile has all the security forces it needs with it’s police and military, but you never know. We will keep a look out for anything that pops up.
Luckily, Chile’s buildings were better built than what was in Haiti, and that is good. I am sure they would have had way more deaths if they weren’t. My heart goes out to the victims of this earthquake, and I hope they are able to respond fast enough to save everyone. –Matt
Edit: 3/6/2010 – Thanks to Rosa for sending me this link on an interesting site that compiles all the available news video footage on the event, and does some analysis based on that compilation. Check it out here.
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Looting Sparks Security Concerns in Post-Quake Chile
Michelle Ruiz
March 1, 2010
Rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble-strewn streets of Chile today as widespread looting sparked security concerns following the earthquake that has killed more than 700 people and displaced more than 2 million. Three more aftershocks hit the country this morning, according to a published report.
“The catastrophe is enormous,” President Michelle Bachelet said at a news conference Sunday, adding that her declared “state of catastrophe” would continue as the Chilean military maintains order in the streets and the air force flies basic supplies to the hardest-hit regions.
“We are confronting an emergency without parallel in Chile’s history,” she said.
In the heavily damaged city of Concepcion, looters descended on supermarkets and electronic stores and police fought them
with tear gas and water cannons.
Firefighters in Concepcion who were ready to lower a rescue worker into the rubble were halted when the scent of tear gas forced them to stop.
“It’s sad, but because of the situation you have to confront the robberies and at the same time continue the search,” police officer Jorge Guerra told The Associated Press.
Bachelet gave the military control of security in the area, where nearly every market had been emptied and no food or drinking water was available, according to the AP. Power outages kept the city in the dark.
“We are overwhelmed,” a police officer told the AP.
Looters reportedly cleared the contents of a shopping mall in San Pedro, even robbing ATM machines and siphoning gas from underground tanks.