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ABC's David Wright and Today newscaster Ann Curry for NBC arrived in the small coastal town of Constitucion where almost half of the fatalities from Chile's earthquake happened--some 350 killed out of nearly 800 dead. Constitucion was hit twice, once by the nighttime quake itself and then, 15 minutes later, by a series of tsunamis, some as tall as 50 feet. ABC's Wright reported on villagers aroused from their sleep--some in pajamas, some naked--heading for the hills to avoid the water. The rubble of a waterfront discotheque will likely contain the bodies of drowned late-night dancers.
CBS' Mark Strassmann and ABC's Jeffrey Kofman filed from the city of Concepcion, population 600,000: high-rise buildings have been razed; a curfew has been imposed to prevent looting; and the population is sleeping in tents for fear of aftershocks. Even in the Chilean summer, the nighttime temperature is close to freezing, ABC's Kofman told us. CBS substitute anchor Smith asked Strassmann why the military had not been mobilized: "This country has had a long history of military dictatorships, sending troops into civilian areas. It is a very touchy subject, sensitive among the Chilean people, and always a very careful decision by their leaders.
Meanwhile NBC also heard from Mark Potter, based in the capital of Santiago, checking on the civilian government's coordination of relief.
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