International disaster relief charity ShelterBox is responding to the news of destruction in Chile which has been hit by a massive earthquake. An initial ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is currently preparing to mobilise with two SRT members from the UK and one from the US.

The 8.8 magnitude quake struck southern Chile at 0643 GMT on Saturday, February 26, and triggered a tsunami alert in large parts of Latin America and beyond. It caused buildings to collapse in the Chilean capital, Santiago, 200 miles from the epicentre. Hundreds of people are feared dead while thousands of people have been left homeless.

ShelterBox General Manager Lasse Petersen said: ‘ShelterBox will respond quickly where needed, as the unfolding news becomes clearer and the scale of need is confirmed. A ShelterBox team is preparing to mobilise at the earliest opportunity. Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this disaster.’

Chile’s second-largest city, Concepcion, just 75 miles from the epicentre, is likely to be the worst affected, with more than 200,000 people living along the Bio Bio river. The initial earthquake was followed by two aftershocks measuring 6.9 and 5.5 in magnitude

A tsunami warning has been extended across the Pacific rim, including most of Central and South America and as far as Australia and Antarctica.

The quake is Chile’s largest in 25 years and Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet has declared a ’state of catastrophe’ in the country.

Source :  ShelterBox