at the colonial cities of Aiquile, where preliminary official figures showed 49 dead, and nearby Totora, where 18 people died. The towns are some 250 miles (400 km) southeast of the capital city La Paz. The number of wounded totalled 140. The earthquake measuring 6.8 on the open-ended Richter scale hit Bolivia soon after midnight on Friday. It was the strongest earthquake to shake Bolivia in a century and tremors in as far away as La Paz and Sucre caused people to flee their homes, Rodolfo Ayala, spokesman for the San Calixto Observatory in La Paz, told Reuters. The slow search for survivors went on through Friday night in Aiquile, a city of 13,000 inhabitants, though rescue workers were hindered by aftershocks, including one measured at 4.5 on the Richter scale on Saturday around midday. Biting overnight temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) also hampered rescue operations. President Hugo Banzer flew to the disaster zone on Friday and walked through Aiquile`s partially-destroyed main plaza. Banzer said he would sign a decree on Saturday declaring Aiquile and Totora disaster zones. Civil Defence officials said the area could suffer an acute lack of potable water after being wracked by drought since the beginning of the year. Banzer said the government would funnel an initial $6 million in aid money for earthquake victims from a fund originally earmarked for problems related to the El Nino weather phenomenon. As burial of the dead began on Saturday, Banzer declared three days of national mourning, without suspending regular activities. Banzer was due to make another visit to Aiquile on Sunday to attend a mass and call for solidarity among the survivors. Local radio reported that various countries offered assistance in the disaster relief effort. Registered as national historical monuments, Aiquile and Totora feature housing primarily made from traditional adobe (mud) bricks. In Aiquile at least 30 homes collapsed along with the local prison, allowing its 10 inmates to walk away free.
Autor: Reueters
