Connect to share and comment Assessing the damage from a city
that has already faced "the big one." VALDIVIA, Chile – One of
the world’s six-largest earthquakes in recorded history has left
hundreds dead and damaged buildings, roads, and bridges
throughout central Chile. Chileans slowly are becoming aware of
the breadth of the disaster, which President Michelle Bachelet
called "a catastrophe of devastating consequences." Chile’s
president-in-waiting, Sebastian Pinera, who is to take office on
March 11, had an extensive tour of the damage, then grimly told
reporters “it is probable that the official number of people who
have lost their lives is going to increase, and there are many
injured.” “Our future government is going to do all that is
necessary to help the victims of this earthquake and to
accelerate the process of reconstruction,” said Pinera.
|Slideshow: scenes of destruction| The earthquake was felt
across the region to varying degrees. In Argentina, many hundred
miles away from the epicenter, which w