Chile Forum

audeo13 wrote:We have electricity as do the shops in town here in El Quisco, but there's no where to purchase credit for cell phones. They're all out and the websites won't let you use your credit card unless you've preregistered it with them.

Any idea what the problem is with phone credit, given that the electricity is on? Can't the shops contact the phone companies (ahem) to verify the transaction? Can't you dial a number to add credit to your phone directly using your card? Things seem normal up here, so I suspect someone could walk into a shop and buy credit for you if you have friends elsewhere(?).

Cheers,

James.

okay thanks for the reply.

btw, why don't i get credit for several recent and back posts? i've been here for several years with few posts, what am i on some sort of beaurocratic suspension or something

we sure felt that one, even if it was so short that by the time we got up to leave it was over.

***This event supersedes event PT10059001.


Region: LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE
Geographic coordinates: 34.739S, 70.865W
Magnitude: 6.2 Mb
Depth: 35 km
Universal Time (UTC): 28 Feb 2010 11:25:35
Time near the Epicenter: 28 Feb 2010 08:25:35
Local standard time in your area: 28 Feb 2010 07:25:35

Location with respect to nearby cities:
109 km (68 miles) NE (42 degrees) of Talca, Chile
139 km (86 miles) S (187 degrees) of SANTIAGO, Chile
198 km (123 miles) SSE (158 degrees) of Valparaiso, Chile


ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : US 2010tgcz

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist at NEIC
For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/rec ... 10tgcz.php
or
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey

On the topic of phone credits today we had to cash in some of our movistar points to get more sms credits. Most small stores should still be able to cell the cards for prepaid cell phones, if they have any left.

I just put two and two together. We are under curfew since about 9:30 pm to control looting. Not like I had time to leave the house, or even listen to the radio. I heard sirens in the distance just after dusk, and then now I realized that Temuco is so quite you can hear a pin drop across the city.

jehturner wrote:

audeo13 wrote:We have electricity as do the shops in town here in El Quisco, but there's no where to purchase credit for cell phones. They're all out and the websites won't let you use your credit card unless you've preregistered it with them.

Any idea what the problem is with phone credit, given that the electricity is on? Can't the shops contact the phone companies (ahem) to verify the transaction? Can't you dial a number to add credit to your phone directly using your card? Things seem normal up here, so I suspect someone could walk into a shop and buy credit for you if you have friends elsewhere(?).

Cheers,

James.

No idea what the problem is there, everyone just has signs up in the windows "No tenemos recargas" and when I ask them, they say they don't know when they will be getting more, they're waiting to hear back from the phone companies. As for calling the company to add a credit card, no luck either. I think people who have already registered their card, may be able to sms the company and reload that way, no guarantee though. It would not let me do it. I still have some credit, but for others, yes, if they have friends who can check their local shops that might be the way to go.

chilechinadollz wrote:hoping someone here is up at midnight reading? we've seen as i said military using water cannons, tear gas on looters, supermarkets, department stores. the damge seems quite severe. sorry but just reporting what i see. pls no accusations of glooming people please,,,also bad pichilemu, chillan, talca, collapsed highways,

many strong aftershocks last night here in santiago, i slept with my shoes on ready to run again. we are leaving the capital tomorrow am south. anyway imo the situation has grown worse over the day. if things change her in satiago i don't want to be here for the fireworks, but so far i admit santiago is tranquillo, but the situation can change if power is lost agin imo.

maybe your news elsewhere is being controlled to keep calm??? any replys

Yes, unfortunately everything you mentioned is in the news since this morning. I will resume the last 24 hours news that were available to the world. Not my own.
There were tsunamis in the Concepcion region (don't know the size of the waves) but the Robinson Crusoe Island was hit by 8 meters high waves. Boats are over the houses in the region. I believe it was in Concepcion or close to. This is not false alarm, I saw the images. CNN is broadcasting live from Concepcion and the situation is chaotic, building collapsed. There is no water, electricity or food. Not even bread. It is probably much more damage than the news that are reaching Chileans due to the lack of communications. Newspaper sites are mostly down since the earthquake. La tercera was online.
The looters were trying to get basic needs goods but others are taking larger things, that's why the police reacted with water and etc.
They are asking to restore order by broadcasting to Santiago (if that helps), but the looting will probably happen again tomorrow.
There were really major damages in that region. City of Taucahuano is still mostly flooded as a result of the tsunami waves and the government is sorry they didn't sound the tsunami alarm. At least 2 bridges collapsed in Santiago highways, Costanera Norte is affected, the airport was very affected too, mainly the passengers area, with the control tower working.The cost of the recovery will be around US$ 30 Billion.
Unfortunately the toll is around 750 people now.

Im trying to know about the roads but cannot get info of where the bridges collapsed and if it is possible to cross from Santiago to Temuco.I had a flight to Santiago early Monday (6:50hs) and is postponed at least until Wednesday. Maybe Charles can help me with information from the drivers working with him.
The news are now focused on the storms that killed many in Europe, mainly France and is a National Catastrophe with winds around 200KM/h.
If you need me to search or to provide more news just ask. I will be glad to help.

From the internet
Breaking News: Chile earthquake, man plunges 13 stories, daughter clings; looting (photos, video)

Here is what we know so far after the Chile earthquake, a magnitude 8.8 which happened last week and which left 700 people dead, also called "terremoto". It has been said to be 800 worse than the Haiti earthquake:

The army was called in to stop looters with tear gas and water cannons after the Chile earthquake.

Looters cleaned out a shopping mall in San Pedro, robbed ATM machines and removed gas from underground gas tanks.

Alas, aid is not getting through fast enough for the residents and people are hungry.

One man said in light of the aftermath of the Chile earthquake: "People have gone days without eating. The only option is to come here and get stuff for ourselves."

A curfew has been imposed for residents between 9pm and 6am, including in Concepcion.

Reports are that 2 million people have been displaced and a million homes have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the Chile earthquake. People are pitching tents on grassy areas.

"I lost my bed," one Chilean woman told ABC News. "I lost everything. All I have is the clothes on my back."

Fortunately in Hawaii, residents there dodged a bullet, as did residents in Japan.

Rescue workers are still looking for signs of life and time is of the essence. It’s believed that in one apartment building, 60 people are trapped inside and another 100 have possibly died.

The building fell the minute the earthquake hit, not far from Concepcion in Chile. Twenty-four hours later, 23 people had been rescued and 6 bodies had been pulled out. Some people believe they have been involved in miracles.

One, Alberto Rozas, was in the building with his daughter when the building shook and started to fall. He and his 7-year-old held onto each other for dear life as they fell 13 floors, not knowing which way was up.

"The earthquake and the fall were one single, horrible thing," Rozas told The Associated Press on Sunday. "I held onto her and she never let me go." They are both safe.

Another resident, Fernando Abarzua, emerged with no major injuries after the Chile earthquake, or "terremoto."

"I was on the eighth floor and all of a sudden I was down here (on the ground floor)" he told the London Times.

Firefighters have been using thermal detectors to find survivors, although they need additional fuel and water to continue.

President Obama’s offer of help will now be accepted by Chile, since the country is in dire need of aid workers, field hospitals, temporary bridges, and damage assessment experts.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Chile this week.

"Our hemisphere comes together in times of crisis," Clinton said. "We will stand side by side with the people of Chile in this emergency."

See the slide show below for current pictures of the scene in Chile after the earthquake. People have looted supermarkets and gas stations. The army has used tear gas to disperse the crowds.


Marcelo

Words cannot express my appreciation for the heroic service that Charles, Zandra, and staff have/ continue to provide to those in need at this most crucial period. All forum members should be very proud to be represented by such a dedicated and selfless group of people ... they are the manifestation of the definition of true humanitarians. Thank you, thank you!!!

greetings all......im very please that you are all safe, i hope you get in contact with all your friends and family....i am looking for 2 australian citizens that were staying in Temuco when the quake hit.....i have spoken to them on saturday night on skype and a wireless net....but nothing since....can anybody there help?

Glad to hear that everyone is ok... wish i could help in some way.. Thank God my family is ok and have not been badly affected.. Thanks everyone for all the info and keeping us informed as to what is happening on the ground.. juts found out that our friends in San Antonio are ok so am hoping our forum moderator EEUU is safe too..

I big hand for admin (and others) who volunteer time and effort in such an amazing way. I can only stand on the side and see what you guys are doing since I am currently back home in Sweden for some weeks. Thankfully all my loved ones in Chile are ok. If there is anything I can do for anybody while in Sweden I am certainly available. I hope you track down and find EEUU to be safe soon.

Hello all,
I am glad to hear that so many have come through this ok. But I know that there is still much work to do.

So I see that there is a call for Blood Donation at various locations post on CNN Chile and 24Hs. And Jumbo at Alto Las Condes was calling for volunteers this morning to prepare supplies to go South.

I was just wondering if there was anything else that people could do? Is there call for other donations such as clothing, blankets, etc?

It would be good to know what else we might be able to do to help the situation...

Thanks everyone! Stay safe...