Saturday, March 06, 2010
TALCA: Three strong aftershocks on Friday spread new fears among Chileans traumatized by a huge quake and tsunami, while visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon pledged 10 million dollars in emergency aid.
The Navy meanwhile sacked the head of the Oceanography Service, saying he had failed to provide a clear warning of the killer tsunami which followed Saturday's 8.8-quake, as criticism grew of the official disaster response.
A first 6.2-magnitude aftershock jolted people awake at 6:20 am (0920 GMT), Friday just six days after the quake which, along with the tsunami, left more than 800 people dead and some two million homeless.
That was followed by a 6.8-magnitude tremor -- one of the strongest of more than 200 to rattle Chile since the weekend -- and another measuring 6.6.
Some damaged buildings in Concepcion, the country's second city, collapsed, but the national emergency services said the aftershocks caused no injuries or serious damage.
Oceanography chief Mariano Rojas was removed from the post on Friday, and the head of the Navy opened an investigation into "the decision process after the natural catastrophe," an official statement said.
Military officials have admitted making a mistake following the quake and said they transmitted "very unclear information" to President Michelle Bachelet on whether to lift or maintain a tsunami alert, as giant waves began crashing into the Pacific coast.
TALCA: Three strong aftershocks on Friday spread new fears among Chileans traumatized by a huge quake and tsunami, while visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon pledged 10 million dollars in emergency aid.
The Navy meanwhile sacked the head of the Oceanography Service, saying he had failed to provide a clear warning of the killer tsunami which followed Saturday's 8.8-quake, as criticism grew of the official disaster response.
A first 6.2-magnitude aftershock jolted people awake at 6:20 am (0920 GMT), Friday just six days after the quake which, along with the tsunami, left more than 800 people dead and some two million homeless.
That was followed by a 6.8-magnitude tremor -- one of the strongest of more than 200 to rattle Chile since the weekend -- and another measuring 6.6.
Some damaged buildings in Concepcion, the country's second city, collapsed, but the national emergency services said the aftershocks caused no injuries or serious damage.
Oceanography chief Mariano Rojas was removed from the post on Friday, and the head of the Navy opened an investigation into "the decision process after the natural catastrophe," an official statement said.
Military officials have admitted making a mistake following the quake and said they transmitted "very unclear information" to President Michelle Bachelet on whether to lift or maintain a tsunami alert, as giant waves began crashing into the Pacific coast.
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