Santiago, Chile was hit by history’s most powerful earthquake last Saturday, measuring in at 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, and lasting approximately three minutes. The death toll has reached 711, and is expected to rise as rescuers continue to look for survivors in the rubble. It is also estimated that at least two-million people have been displaced by the quake.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet sent 10,000 national troops into the streets of Santiago most affected by the disaster, both to control looting and to speed the aid effort. Aftershocks continue to rumble, hampering search and rescue efforts, and an emergency curfew has been imposed after looters targeted markets throughout the city.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently on a tour of South America and was scheduled to visit Chile this week. She intends to continue with her visit, despite the quake, meeting with both Bachelet and President-elect Sebastián Piñera.
This South American disaster comes only months after the world rallied to help the impoverished country of Haiti after Port Au Prince suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The Mobile Giving Foundation helped raise $40 million in aid for Haiti via text messages, and the same service is being set up again for Santiago. You can send free texts to a number of aid organizations, such as World Vision, the Salvation Army and the Save the Children Federation.
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