real tsunami's deads tales

Statistical analysis of the dead and missing in the tragedy of 27 / F:
Most of the victims were elderly and children

A profile by "El Mercurio" of each of the 486 dead and 79 missing after the earthquake and tsunami of last February allowed to determine who hit more brutal catastrophe. Some 27 families lost two or more of its members. The stories behind the numbers.

Carlos Saldibia and Matias Bakit

Until now little was known of them. There was speculation that they were mostly children, fishermen and coastal dwellers of the Seventh and Eighth Region. However, a thorough revision of the names on the official list of 486 dead and 79 missing the rawness of the results so far surpasses the presumptions raised. For this test, "El Mercurio" consulted data from the Ministry of Interior, Civil Registry, business reports and police.

Of the total of deaths reported by the Interior Ministry, nearly 60 per cent are seniors and children, mainly women, housewives and students. Many of the victims had no home in the coastal areas but came from Talca, Curico Santiago. The disaster also took away the lives of a significant number of residents and Cauquenes Constitution and a significant, though unspecified, of tourists.

Those killed were 249 women and 234 men. Of these, 68 are under 18 years and nine are under two years. A total of 193 people were over 60 years, of whom 136 were aged 70 and 12 over 90 years. Among the children who lost their lives, perhaps the most striking case is that of a baby who fulfilled three months the 27 February and took the sea with her two parents, 19 and 22 years.

Although, according to various reports analyzed, 120 of the 414 adult deaths recorded no known occupation or economic activity, corresponding to 116 housewives, 35 are traders, 29 laborers, 28 farmers, 26 retirees and only 12 fishermen. Several of the latter died in their boats to rescue people who were swallowed by the sea in the morning the tsunami.

The 79 missing women and 48 -31 are mainly young men. Of these, 36 are under 30 years, of which 23 are children and three still had three years. It contrasts with the registration of deaths in the fact that only 9 people here are over 60 years. The city with the largest number of missing is Concepción, Temuco and Santiago followed. As in the case of the deceased, most of the missing are students and housewives. In addition, 27 families lost at least two of its members and, officially, only three foreigners have died. The list does not include the case of the Peruvian Lourdes Armas (24), but his daughter Florencia Saavedra, eight months and born in Chile. Both were crushed in his humble home in Santiago and their bodies were returned to Peru. In the list of government does not appear Leon Carey, two-year-old son of a prominent lawyer in Santiago, although it does mention his sister Juanita. It also draws attention to the list of missing is Georgina Toro (78) who was located by his daughter on February 27, which has withdrawn the complaint alleged six times unfortunately.

Nearly 60% of deaths and 40% of the missing are elderly and minors. Families torn apart by the disaster
At least 27 families lost two or more of its members after the earthquake and tsunami of last February, with the Constitution that were most affected.

One of the most dramatic cases is that of Luis Gatica, who every day is still up at dawn to walk the coast of Constitution in search of his family. On 27 February, he was with his men held the week Maulino Orrego Island when the tsunami struck. In total, from his circle and his brother, Juan Francisco, there were nine people. Only he survived. His wife, Sandra Muñoz Macarena her daughter, aged four, and her little sister, Antonia, seven, are missing.

Since that day, Luis said that he tried to hold his daughter, but he got out of hand. Then in the second wave, separated from her brother. Saw him no more.

A similar story is that of Carlos Pareja, a native of Florida. He was on vacation in the cabins of Quivolgo, fronting Constitution, with his wife, Marianela, and their three sons, Paul, Elisa and small Jael, two years and three months. When awake, had planned to pack up and travel further south. However, the earthquake woke before.

After feeling the violence of the movement, the family tried to leave in his car. But, unexpectedly, came the first wave. Given this, decided to leave the car and climb to a kind of locomotive that was in place. For a moment, thought they were going to save. But it was a false sense.

A short while later came the second wave, which separated them. For long minutes, Carlos lost sight of his family. Suddenly, he saw his eldest son who had saved the environment. Together they began looking for Marianela and small Jael. But they were not anywhere. After several days of searching, both found dead. And Carlos was only raising the two children he left behind. Jael is still on the list made by the Government of the disappeared.

Little Thomas, aged nine, had mixed fortunes. He was on Isla Cancun when the wave came, but his grandparents Henriquez Fanny and Juan Francisco Villalobos, both 53, did not leave him in no time. And when we faltered forces, left to Thomas hugged a tree, with the caveat that nothing in the world would break. The child was found alive. His grandfather appeared dead nine days later, and Fanny is still missing.

Children and the elderly, the hardest hit
Professor Alicia Chipoco Pollock, his 90 years, was one of the most iconic and beloved Pelluhue. In the 40 girls boarding school created in the town and conducted classes at various rural schools in the area. At 4:20 am on February 27 his last words exchanged with her son, Jeoffrey Semler. After that came the tsunami. Was washed by the waters, and was only found the next day at the beach. His daughter, Astrid, who lives in the U.S., will install a foundation with his name to help Pelluhue educational communities with support from Atlanta.

Petersen Luis Herrera, 96, could not escape the tsunami on the island Juan Fernandez. Marcial Reyes Badilla, his 94 years died in Talcahuano. The three are part of the group of 12 aged over 90 who died.

Also impact caused the death of the twins and Maria Ignacia Villagra Raul Herrera, a nine-year-old who could not escape the force of the waves on the coast of Constitution. A tragedy suffered by the marriage of William Carey and Florence attorney Moring, who lost two of their four children (Juanita, four years, and Leon, two) while escaping the tsunami in Pichilemu.

Emilio Gutiérrez Núñez and his wife Sofia Monsalve, both 35, still searching for the body of his son Emilio Jose Gutierrez Monsalve, 4 years old. The night of the earthquake were the three at home in Constitution on the banks of the river, along with the child's grandparents. After the earthquake in boats tried to escape for tourists: one was reached to raise the small Emilio with his grandfather, the rope was cut, and took the strong current, Emilio's parents, along with the grandmother of the child, rose to another, were fed and spent an hour and a half clinging to a buoy. Emilio Gutiérrez found the body of his father, but no trace of her son.

Professor Alicia Chipoco Pollock, with his two children. His daughter Astrid install a foundation with his name to help Pelluhue.Los epicenters of deaths
Most fatalities that left the earthquake and tsunami is Talca. According to the mayor, John Castro, this is explained by the large amount of damage suffered by the city in the center and in its historic, being affected 90% of the adobe buildings. Officially, 96 of the dead would be the capital of the Region VII, presenting victims aged between 8 months and 94 years of age. However, most talquinas would not have died in the city. In fact, according to information from the municipality, would be 32 people who died there. The rest have died while in Constitution and Orrego Islands and Cancun, where they celebrated the Night Maulin. It is in Talca lies the most massive amount of simultaneous deaths, which dates of death is between 4 and 7 in the morning. This is due to the proximity to the coast and the strength it had in place the tsunami.

For example, was in the Constitution where the six members of the family of Carlos couple were swept away by floodwaters. There also disappeared all the immediate family of Luis Gatica paramedic in the tsunami.

A town which, despite its size, was especially affected by the tsunami was Llolleo in the V Region. There, four people were killed while walking near the coast adjacent to the camping site.

The deadly lack of warning
In Dichato, the outrage continues. A dozen relatives of vacationers from Santiago and the Eighth Region, as well as local tourist trade workers, blame the authorities for having informed during the morning of February 27 ruled that the arrival of a tsunami on the coast.

Is the case of the Ortiz family-Obregon, who vacationed for over 20 years in Dichato. "My mother, Sonia Obregon, along with several people heard on the radio Bío-Bío there would be no tsunami and down with my dad and my younger sister Esther. When my dad was in the car and my mom got dressed, came the tsunami. The wave lifted the car and formed a vortex. My dad swam my mother managed to leave on a floating door and then the sea took them with my sister. Only my mother was saved, "says Ortiz Pablina. Jorge Saavedra, Dichato trader who lost everything, but survived to stay on the hill, discusses this more radical: "All those who heeded the government that there was no tsunami home fell and died. We thought more the fishermen who said it was not safe to lose yet, "he says.

"My sister Nancy and Baby (both allied Military Hospital of Santiago), down from a hill, where he had fled to the house to remove mattresses and blankets, at about 6 am, and who fled with nothing . They were inside the van when the tsunami struck. In the car were a child of one of them and their husbands. They managed to get out, but my sisters were trapped because the doors did not open. My nephew shooting an arm, but could not remove. The last thing she said was 'son get off and save yourself,' "says one of the sisters of the victims.

The celebrity left
The violinist Leon Ortiz (62) and his daughter Valeria (33), were very popular in Chillán. This was an outstanding music teacher and author of the hymn of Chillán, released in 1989 for 50 years the earthquake of 1939, and Valeria had been nationally ranked table tennis. The family summered since 1990 Dichato, which were hit by the tsunami as they fled by car.

Another figure was Erick von Jentschyk (24) engineering student and known supporter of the Mapuche communities in conflict in Temuco, where he had even been processed. The young man was swallowed by the tsunami while camping in Isla Mocha with his girlfriend Carla Mellado (22), which is missing. Her parents walk the field every day trying to find her.

Likewise, Colonel (r) Bruno Ritter (66), was the brother of the mayor of Laguna Blanca, a prosperous farmer and one of the most memorable instructors Carabineros Officers School in Santiago. Ritter was in Curanipe and after the quake rose to his children and wife to his truck to flee to Cauquenes, but the tsunami caught up in the path. Salt damaged the car's electrical system and the only way out was a half-open window. "Open it and save yourselves," was his order. Young took his mother, but he was caught by the second wave.

Among tourists unfortunate and poor construction
Santiago is the second city with more deaths and the third highest rate of missing. The deaths resulted from 32 women and 16 men, most between 20 and 45 years, working out tourism in the area affected by the tsunami. Of these, 6 were living in the high sector of Santiago and five in the commune of La Florida and five in Puente Alto, where an estimated in 2338 damaged houses. Likewise, other 7 missing come from the capital, two of the latter communities.

Among the most dramatic cases of deaths in the metropolitan area are the death of Blanca Jara Retamal, a grandmother of 78 years old, a product of multiple trauma died when a wall of their house collapsed in street Dragons Queen. Another case of death by crushing was the seven family members Lira Serrano crushed by the concrete structure of a silo of 80 tons, which fell from 22 meters on the two semi-detached houses where they slept in Talagante.

Other Santiago who lost their lives on the coast were affected by the tsunami. Tanya Gonzalez Valeska Gonzalez (20) and his boyfriend, Emmanuel Avila Duarte (22), took care of his son Diego González Mora, six years with the relatives of the young. The group of eight people was on vacation in Ilocos, some of them working in the area for the summer season. At three in the morning, the earthquake found on the street and could not evade the first wave of the tsunami. Although the water washed them away, Tanya stood up hugging her son. The third wave snatched it.

The other kids found a few hours. Suffered no fractures or major injuries, but his lungs were full of water, so they took her to a counseling hospital.Con resume his studies and his life. Diego Santiago was veiled in a few days.

The Ecuadorian single mother who sacrificed his four children
According to the official list of the Interior Ministry, only three foreigners were killed in the catastrophe of the 27th of February: one Swedish, one in Ecuador and Argentina.

The Ecuadorian Ayovi Ana Viveros, 31, was a single mother of four children. Born in Guayaquil in 2007 decided to come to Chile to try their luck. He settled in Talca, in a small room he shared with his family and worked nights at a local bar. According to the Ecuadorian Consulate in Chile, his situation was precarious. So much so that, with the earthquake, collapsed one of the walls of your home. They say that to protect their children, crossed between them and the collapse, still overwhelmed. His body was repatriated and their children will be welcomed by their families in Ecuador.

The body of the Swedish engineer Mats Ohlsson, 56, was rescued from the rubble of a hotel in Concepcion. He had arrived less than a month to Chile on vacation and the idea of visiting Chilean friends who had known for work. His body was sent to Gothenburg, where he hoped his wife Silvana and her two children.

Laikam Graciela, 43, a native of Buenos Aires was almost a decade living in Curico. She died with her Chilean husband Angel Valenzuela and her daughter, Martina, two years. The three were buried in the cemetery of that city.