The death toll in Chile climbed to 708 in one of the biggest earthquakes in centuries as rescuers continue to find trapped victims and missing persons. Chile President Michelle Bachelet steps up quake rescue to save as many lives as possible. Fire fighters and every rescuers scramble to collapsed buildings and apartments to find trapped victims while troops are being deployed to help prevent looting.
“We face a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort,” Ms Bachelet told reporters on Sunday in the capital, Santiago.
The emergency …

SANTIAGO, Chile – A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the north-east of the city of Concepcion and some parts of the capital, Santiago at around 0634 GMT. The quake lasted for a minute and a half that resulted to collpased buildings and also destroying phone lines and electricity.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Chile and Peru, and a less-urgent tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica. It said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west of Santiago, with a wave height of 1.29m above normal …