Ric Francis

Aftershock - Chile

On February 27 Chile was struck by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake, killing hundreds and causing extensive damage to buildings and flooding from tsunami waves.

March 8, 2010 - The community of Dichato was hit by a tsunami which was caused by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
  
March 8, 2010 - The Chilean flag hangs over the devastated community of Dichato.
   
March 4, 2010 - Chileans view an apartment building which was toppled by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake. According to the investigative police (PDI - Policia de Investigaciones) seven were killed in the collapse and six missing.
     
  
March 8, 2010 - Alojo Valderrama, 58, removes a broken bathroom fixture from his home. The water line in this second-floor room reveals the height of the tsunami waves.
  
March 5, 2010 - Chilean citizens wait in line for water amidst the rubble caused by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
  
March 5, 2010 - A passerby, who declined to be identified, opens a soda he found inside a destroyed store.
     
  
March 5, 2010 - Talcahuano, Chile - A Chilean policeman keeps watch for looters days after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
   
March 5, 2010 - A Chilean soldier examines a gas tank where the detained men in the background were illegally siphoning gasoline; the men were released after a warning.
   
March 5, 2010 - A Chilean policeman observes a woman as she complains about being accused of looting.
     
  
March 8, 2010 - This tent community, on high grounds, was created for families whose homes were destroyed by a tsnami.
  
March 8, 2010 - Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, second from right, meets with residents whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged.
   
March 6, 2010 - Ricardo Vegas, 45, left, who lost his home as a result of the earthquake, and a neighbor Blanca Otarola, 48, search for clothing at a donation center.
     
  
March 6, 2010 - This crack in the ground was caused by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
  
March 8, 2010 - Roberto Baeza, 65, collects wood on Dichato's debris-filled beach. The mess is the result of a tsunami created by an 8.8-magnitude hurricane, which also destroyed Baeza's home.
   
March 8, 2010 - Karen Sarate, 25, left, and Mariela Gallegos, 30, contemplate how to remove a mattress from the trappings of their home.
     
  
March 8, 2010 - A soldier guards a container, washed ashore by a tsunami, filled with toxic chemicals.
  
March 8, 2010 - Residents walk through the debris-filled streets.
   
March 8, 2010 - The community of Dichato was devastated by a tsunami.