After the devastating earthquake in Peru on Wednesday, aftershocks continue to shake the South American nation. Search for survivors is on.
An earthquake measuring 8.0 on Richter scale rocked Peru with its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, about 145km southeast of Lima, Peru’s capital. Even the aftershocks have been no less. Aftershocks with a magnitude of 6.3, 5.9, and 4.9 have been observed, sending shivering waves all around.
The devastation has already claimed more than 500 lives. The death toll is expected to go higher with many of the bodies buried deep. Buildings, houses, hospitals, churches, offices, hotels, roads, streets have all collapsed under the surreal tremor bringing life to a standstill and forcing people to run helter-skelter for safety. The impact of the tremor has resulted in people rummaging for aid. Deprived of aid, due to shortage of funds and inadequate help, many of the Peruvians without shelter are on a looting spree, robbing everything from food, water, medicines to clothes.
The city of Pisco, the hardest hit, gives a gloomy picture with rubble everywhere and bodies lying here and there. The scary scenes of thousands of injured lying in the hospital call for urgent attention especially when the outbreak of a disease is possible after so many dead bodies desiccating as rumble.
Peru has been rocked by shivering quakes earlier because of its location on the South American plate that is converging with Nazca plate in the Pacific Ocean. The Nazca being an oceanic plate is denser than the continental South American plate, therefore subducts under the South American plate near the coast of Peru and Chile. And this subduction brings earthquakes in this region. Apparently, this was the reason for Wednesday’s quake that shook Peru, resulting in a number of deaths.
Every major earthquake leaves aftershocks. Sometimes aftershocks can be as devastating as the major quake. But, most of the times, the aftershocks do not impact much.
Peru is in urgent need of aid from the international community.
Via: CNN
