Chile – Some Numbers
While the death toll has passed 700, the operation has to be hampered by aftershocks.
In the 24 hours following the initial earthquake there have been 100 seismic events, more than one every 15 minutes. Seven of them were between 6.0 and 6.9, 81 between 5.0 and 5.9, and 12 between 4.6 and 4.9. That means the people looking for survivors in buildings that failed, can expect to be inside when the next aftershock occurs, and possibly become trapped by debris.
Earthquakes are not single events – there are always aftershocks. That’s why you don’t immediately go back inside after one. That was just the first and the worst, but there will be encores.
2 comments
It truly is amazing though that the number of deaths (although any death is disheartening) remains so low for such a tremendous temblor.
A lot of the early reported deaths were the result of roads and bridges being pulled apart, and I don’t know how you can engineer for that. They really were prepared.
Given that this happened when most of the people were asleep, if the building codes hadn’t been enforced we would be well into the tens of thousands.
It may go up dramatically after they get into the South, nearer the epicenter.