State of Catastrophe

An epic tragedy, possibly one to rival the Haiti earthquake in terms of scope of destruction and loss of human life, has struck the heretofore relatively peaceful and prosperous nation of Chile. Preliminary reports measure the temblor at 8.8 on the Richter scale, one of the stronger quakes ever measured, making mass destruction and casualties virtually inevitable. This shaking has also sparked fears of and a warning for a tsunami across wide areas of the Pacific. It is an absolute certainty that the people of Chile will need both foreign aid and prayers.