Chile. After repeated attempts, to no avail, to connect with our Claretian brothers in Chile, finally we have received emergency information in the hope that we will be able to complete it gradually and we will be adding it to this same news. We know that the persons are all well. The buildings have suffered damages in various degrees.
We will continue informing.
Through communications that came from third parties, we have received confirmation that the persons are all well, even in the community of Temuco, the one closest to the place of the earthquake, from Santiago to the South. About the damages of the buildings, the churches have been the most damaged. In Curicó, the sacristy, images and the tower were destroyed. In Linares, the tower collapsed.
We will continue informing here.
Detailed information received by e-mail at 15.17 h (Rome time), signed by the Mayor Superior, Fr. Agustín Cabré:
Our communities (news still in process)
In the South zone
The first telephone call after the earthquake came from the Claretian community of Niebla, Valdivia(Southern Chile). Its superior, Fr. Carlos Vargas informs us that there were no personal or structural damages, except the fear that an event of this magnitude implies.
From the Claretian community of Temuco we are told that there are structural damages in the Church-Parish building. In the Claret Institute, the tremor mainly destroyed some large windows. The superior of the Claretian community Fr. Mario Gutiérrez, informs that the Claretians Gabriel Aguirre, Teodoro Arranz and David Quilodrán are all right.
A little more to the North, in the Shrine of El Carmen of Curicó, its rector José Abarza Morales, cmf informs of the important structural damages in the temple, which will have to be evaluated more in detail. In the Claretian community everyone is all right.
We stress that Curicó is one of the cities of Southern Chile that suffered the earthquake with intensity.
In Santiago, the Claretian community of Zenteno lived the event with special concern, because theirs is one of the largest buildings. There is no drinking water. In the Basilica of the Heart of Mary the façade gave way and the ample cornice that decorated the building came off unto the Zenteno Street. The superior of the community, Fr. Pompeyo Corada with a group of pastoral agents are performing tasks of cleaning and ordering objects. Firemen, on their turn, will evaluate the damages to the structure.
In the North zone
Javier Montón, cmf of the Claretian community of Antofagasta informs us that the earthquake was almost imperceptible in the zone (even though ONEMI says it was magnitude 2 in the Richter scale). But he certainly communicated with the rest of the communities to greet and support those who suffered greater difficulties.
In Copiapó Fr. Adam Bartyzol states that the tremor was important, but there were no personal or material damages.
For the community of Andacollo, 500 kms North of Santiago, the earthquake was also of minor importance.
We have been able to communicate with almost all the relatives of the missionaries and there are no personal injuries to lament.
