The massive earthquake that rocked northern Chile two days ago killed 11 people and destroyed or damaged 9,235 houses in several Andean mountain villages, authorities reported Wednesday. As President Ricardo Lagos toured several affected communities Wednesday, 835 people were still sheltered at schools and other public buildings, and thousands more remained at their damaged homes to fend off looters. Lagos arrived in Iquique early Wednesday after cutting short a European tour in the wake of the magnitude 7.9 quake. He said that in addition to the damage of thousands of homes, the other main problem in the area, 1,800 kilometers (1,200 miles) north of Santiago, is the lack of water due to broken pipes. Water supply was being gradually restored in this port city, «but the hardest task now is restoring the service in the villages in the interior,» Lagos said. Electric power supply is also irregular at many places. Alberto Maturana, head of the government's Emergency Bureau, said 544 houses were completely destroyed by the quake and 8,691 more were damaged, some of them seriously and will probably have to be demolished. The government has sent massive aid to the area to attend nearly 70,000 people who live in the area, including tents, mattresses, blankets, food and medicines.
