SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMAN, Argentina—Nine hours after the 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, its epicenter off the west coast of Chile, across the Andes a strong aftershock measuring at 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Argentina. The shock was felt in Salta and neighboring provinces.
In San Miguel de Tucuman, Epoch Times reporter Mark Tula Molina described the events soon after they happened:
“I’m sitting in my chair discussing the news of the earthquake in Chile. It seems something tragic, something ugly, something that happens to others. But suddenly my chair moves, the floor and walls shake, glasses clink and the tremor comes to Tucuman, Argentina. People go out nervously into the street and look to each other, as if seeking solace or looking for understanding of what is happeneing.
“The area is not considered a dangerous earthquake zone, and there are no large cities with tall buildings. However, the strong tremors, coupled with the magnitude of the earthquake in Chile generated nervousness and uncertainty on this side of the range.
“We do not know what damage the earthquake caused in the province of of Tucumán—it is too early. But we are starting to feel that we are unprotected. I try to communicate with my wife and I cannot.
“Up until yesterday, we were only commenting on what small things we could do to help Haiti. But today, things are different. We understand that nobody is safe, that the universe and nature continue their inexorable course and what we think happens in distant countries like Haiti might happen to us.
“It is difficult to think about the idea of potential disasters while many people are having coffee or going to lunch with the family. Yet it is possible. We are all exposed to natural disasters and the ability to live them instead of seeing them on TV is an approaching reality.”
