At least 510 killed in big Peru quake by Delia Cruceru

A day after the devastating earthquake from the Peru's southern coast, officials announced that the death toll rose to 510 and at least 17.000 people were displaced from their homes. The most damaged regions were the city of Ica and the port city Pisco. The capital, Lima was also hit by the quake. In Pisco at least 200 people died in San Clemente cathedral while they were attending to the celebration of the Virgin Mary and a special mass marking one month since the death of a Pisco man. The city is left without water, power and many residents are left without homes sleeping outside, afraid that aftershocks might ruin the other buildings. "We don't have lights, water, communications. Most houses have fallen. Churches, stores, hotels â€" everything is destroyed," Pisco Mayor Juan Mendoza told Lima radio station CPN. The U.S. Geological Survey declared that the quake had the magnitude of 7.9 to 8, and at least 15 aftershocks followed with the magnitude of 5. In Chincha, a town near Pisco, the quake collapsed the wall of the Tambo de Mora prison and almost 680 escaped, only 29 being captured. The United States, Red Cross, European Union and United Nations offered cash, tents, water, medicine and other supplies. U.S. officials declared that the US navy hospital ship Comfort, equipped with a staff of 800 and 12 operating rooms, is in Ecuador and could quickly sail to Peru if asked.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/peru_quake;_ylt=AnGDwKIubKKb2lvWWA9mNLas0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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