Return to Transcripts main page
Breaking News
Powerful Earthquake Rocks Peruvian Coast
Aired June 23, 2001 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: First to Peru and early reports of this major earthquake. We now know at least 23 people are reported dead, hundreds are injured as rescuers respond to a magnitude 7.9 quake which struck the South American nation a short time ago. It was centered near the southern city of Arequipa, where dozens of buildings are reported to have collapsed and where aftershocks are still being felt.
Joining us now by telephone from the capital city, Lima, is Canal N television journalist Natalia Tarnawieski.
Mrs. Tarnawieski, what now?
NATALIA TARNAWIESKI, CANAL N REPORTER: Good evening, Mr. Stephen Frazier. Yes, I'm in Lima, and reporters have said the deaths are increasing by the hour and since night falls and there not being power supply in some cities south of Lima. Moquegua is the most affected.
There are now 26 deaths approximately, but authorities are rescuing survivors from the rubble, from the wreckage, and it is quite difficult since night has already fallen and there's total darkness and there are places where there is no power supply.
One important thing, though, is that a tsunami is ruled out. The National Geophysical Institute has ruled out the tsunami, which had the whole population quite excited. So, calm is returning in that sense.
FRAZIER: We are looking at pictures as you describe all this to us. It looks as though the homes are made of adobe and that many of them have collapsed.
TARNAWIESKI: Yes, that is totally right. In Arequipa, two children were dead because one of those walls crumbled down in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Blanca, local shanty town. In Arequipa, most of the houses are made of adobe bricks, brick which are -- they harm with this movement since -- there's about 70 percent of housing damaged, according to Arequipa's mayor, who has declared the city in a total emergency state.
And the historical part of the city has also been damaged. The cathedral tower has crumbled down, and the most important thing right now for authorities is that temperatures at night are below 8 degrees Celsius, and people are in the street, and there are few tents, very few blankets. So, the rescue is quite difficult at the moment.
FRAZIER: As you know, so often gas lines are ruptured during a quake of this magnitude, starting fires, but the pictures we're seeing appear to show little fire.
TARNAWIESKI: Yes, no fires have been reported. There were some problems because the water supplies in Arequipa had been damaged. Also, the light and power supplies are damaged, although in Arequipa they have been reestablished, except in Moquegua as I said, the power supply is gone.
Right now, most of the population is asking for help from the Peruvian army. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hasn't made an official statement about the army helping Arequipa and Moquegua. But people are waiting in the streets, and they are, obviously, afraid to return home because afterquakes are always feared.
There's been a report of 15 afterquakes since 3:33 official local time when the first quake was registered.
FRAZIER: Well, we're Grateful for that update from Lima. Natalia Tarnawieski reporting. Thank you, Natalia.
This was pinpointed on or just off the coast. And tonight, a tsunami watch has been issued for locations hundreds of miles away. And here to bring us up-to-date on that is Jacqui Jeras at the weather map.
Jacqui, what are you finding out about this?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN WEATHER: Well, Stephen, information is still sketchy at this time. This may or may not happen. Of course, tsunami is a series of waves that can rise up and move across the ocean and can cause some significant flooding problems. It can go as high as about 98 feet when they head on shore.
Now, there have been warnings issued in the last hour here along the coastline in South America. Warnings for Chile, Peru, also for Ecuador and Columbia. And right here in Central America and along the Mexico coastline is where we have tsunami watches.
Now, our latest statement from the Tsunami Warning Center out of Alaska is that we're watching what could be happening here along the coastline of the United States all the way up to Alaska. Nothing has been issued at this time. The situation is being evaluated, and we're expecting another update in about an hour. And of course, as soon as we have that information or something looks threatening, we'll bring that along to you -- Stephen.
FRAZIER: Jacqui, thanks for keeping us posted.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
