My tia mari called my grandma. She called my aunt that lives in the US and told her that my other aunt (tia hilda) spoke with tia mari very briefly. She was in a state of shock. She and my three cousins live in Santiago. Their house is pretty much ruined.
The second floor, which was a new addition and their sleeping quarters, is unlivable. More importantly, everyone ran out of the house in time, before it came down on them. All the appliances and electronics and furniture on the first floor are ruined. The impact dislodged the stove, fridge and other appliances and tipped them over. Their fence, which is a tall iron thing that goes around their house and property and is used for safety and security, fell over. So there's that...
And now, my aunt and her family are inconsolable and without a place to sleep. I don't really know what to say. My mom keeps tearing up. She wants to go down there but its not possible right now. Roads are bad, especially the PanAm Highway which runs the length of the country and is the main highway to get from region to region. Like you've probably heard...it's a narrow country full of mountains and elevations. Hard to build roads, so not too many ways to get around anyway. This is going to make it harder.
My tio's girlfriend and a family friend/second cousin went vacationing in Concepcion. I pray they are fine.
