Please pray for Chile

[HadleyH]

Chile is in my thoughts too. Praying for all.

 

[Matt Deckard]

As long as you know they are okay. Hard to believe there would be any houses there without damage looking at the pictures.

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

My prayers are with you and your loved affected loved ones, Marc. I hope everyone you are hoping to get in touch with ends up accounted for and safe. My thoughts go out to everyone effected by this tragedy.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Google Person Finder: Chile Earthquake

For those of you with family and friends in Chile, Google has set up this database to check on their status:

http://chilepersonfinder.appspot.com/

 

[Diamondback]

Dittos all around.

But, based on prior experience with similar topics (somebody'll call "Offtopic Foul" even in spite of compassionate motivations by the rest of us):

Threadlock coming in 5... 4... 3...

 

[Aureliano]

Thank you, Matt and everyone. Yes, we were miraculously able to reach my wife's family by 'Skype' phone only 40 minutes after the quake hit. It shouldn't have been possible, but we got through. No one was hurt, but the house was badly damaged. Several other relatives are still unaccounted for.



Said one guest at a high-rise hotel, "The building was swaying AND moving up and down!" Three hospitals in Santiago collapsed, radio reports said. The earthquake lasted for a minute and a half. That's the definition of a nightmare.

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It is indeed a nightmare. Marc, I'm glad you've been able to get in touch with some of your family. I have political family living near Concepcion. We just heard from them, they are fine.

 

[Tomasso]

But, based on prior experience with similar topics (somebody'll call "Offtopic Foul" even in spite of compassionate motivations by the rest of us):

Threadlock coming in 5... 4... 3...

Really!? What would be the rationale? I'm flummoxed........

 

[Widebrim]

^^Not vintage-related, asking for prayer, etc...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

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["Skeet" McD]

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¡Viva Chile! indeed! A wonderful photo, expressive of the best that love of country can be: Chile will rise again. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, and all touched by this catastrophe.

"Skeet"

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I haven't been around television or computers for a couple of days but I heard about the quake soon after it happened. Marc, I thought of you immediately. Then I instinctively prayed for Chile and those who might be threatened by tsunami. I continue to hope for signs of grace in the midst of such tragedy.

 

[Tomasso]

Now the looting has begun; that's the greater tragedy.

 

[Big_e]

Our family hails from Lima, Peru but my mom's family had come from Chile. My mom went through an earthquake when she was a little girl. It was a minor one but still she says it was very frightning and feels as if your whole world is going to end.
She ran into the street, frightened and looking for her mom in the marketplace. The quake stopped just as she caught sight of her mom.
Chile will be in my prayers.
Ernest

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Now the looting has begun; that's the greater tragedy.

Yes, it is truly, truly awful.


"To combat looting, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet announced that essentials on the shelves of major supermarkets would be given away for free, under the supervision of authorities..." I love that woman! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap


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[Tomasso]

That may prove to be a good move, we'll see. When calamity strikes, madness ensues...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

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... but at the same time, I'm very angry with her for taking a long time to ask the Chilean armed forces to help. When natural disasters strike, they are Chile's National Guard, and are absolutely necessary for emergency relief.


Yes, I know about the Chilean armed forces' (fast-fading) past bad reputation under the Pinochet dictatorship ... but again and again, they've done an excellent job at disaster aid during the ensuing two decades after General Pinochet's departure from the presidency. Furthermore, Chile's current president, Michelle Bachelet --the daughter of an Air Force general-- was a highly respected Minister of Defense before her election to the country's highest office.


So ... why did she wait so long to call out the military for disaster aid? [huh]


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[Tomasso]

.why did she wait so long to call out the military for disaster aid?.

Yeah, you'd have thought there were plans in place. [huh]

 

[shortbow]

Con amor a su familia.

 

[Smuterella]

I don't pray - being a heathen and all - but I'll be sending good thoughts.

x

 

[Smithy]

It's still very difficult to contact people. We've ended up sending emails to those we haven't heard from and have our fingers crossed. It's worrying though.

Also extremely saddening seeing buildings and things we recognise in the news reports which have taken a real pasting.