Chile Earthquake: 1000 dead and 2million homeless

Over the past 50 years Chile has had multiple earthquakes, resulting in a magnitude of destruction.

The first earthquake recorded in Chile was called the 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake, to this day it is the most energetic earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. The death toll of this quake was estimated to be approximately 5,000 people and monetary loss was said to be estimated at $400 to $800 million US dollars (which equals 2.9 to 5.8 billion in 2010 dollars).

The most recent earthquake, Saturday 27th February 2010, was the strongest quake affecting Chile since the magnitude 9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake and is the strongest earthquake worldwide since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It is the seventh strongest earthquake ever recorded (the 1906 Ecuadorian earthquake is tied for seventh with it), 500 times more forceful than the 7.0 M earthquake in Haiti in January 2010.

Rating 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, this quake has an estimated death toll of 1,000 people and monetary loss could exceed $15 billion. This catastrophe has left over 2 million people homeless, injured or otherwise affected. As some of the worst affected areas woke up to badly damaged cities Sunday, looting broke out, leading several mayors to ask the central government of to issue the extreme declaration of martial law.

The country has fallen into chaos as hundreds of people raided petrol stations to steal fuel as well as supermarkets for food. Public transport services had been suspended, and the supply of power and gas had also been cut off.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd of looters carrying off food and electrical appliances from a supermarket in Concepcion. Local press reported that over 1,000 soldiers were deployed across the southern city of Concepcion.