HUGE BLAST ROCKS VALPARAÍSO
Two buildings have collapsed and over 60 people are missing.
VALPARAÍSO, Chile - A huge blast have destroyed several blocks of the UNESCO patrimonial zone of downtown Valparaíso this morning, between Sotomayor and Echaurren squares. Two buildings have collapsed and other two are burning without any control by firefighters.
Carabineros and the Firemen received calls since 6.30am (CST) from neighbors of Serrano Street, that were smelling gas. At 7am the crews of the gas companies arrived to work in the area but later, at 8.20am for accumulation of gas the explosion occured.
Firefighter companies of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are working in the area that seems to have been bombarded.
Over 20 buildings are damaged
Serrano street is in ruins, while Cochrane Avenue and the surrounding streets to Echaurren Square are covered by a dark smoke. Firefighters and Carabineros have closed Valparaíso's downtown and are still working in the tragedy area.
The debris of the collapsed buldings have become the biggest problem to keep the rescue efforts for the missing persons, which is the main task ordered by Valparaíso's Mayor Aldo Cornejo; "I don't care if we loose more of these historic buildings in the fires but I just don't want to loose any more porteños (people from Valparaíso)".
The historical downtown of the city have been the scene for multiple tragedies across the last three centuries. The current one remeber the huge blast of january 1st 1953, which began with the fire of the Schulze barrack and then the massive blast that blew into the air an entire block of buildings, killing 50 civilians and 36 firefighters.
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Here some shots from TV.
Two buildings have collapsed and over 60 people are missing.
VALPARAÍSO, Chile - A huge blast have destroyed several blocks of the UNESCO patrimonial zone of downtown Valparaíso this morning, between Sotomayor and Echaurren squares. Two buildings have collapsed and other two are burning without any control by firefighters.
Carabineros and the Firemen received calls since 6.30am (CST) from neighbors of Serrano Street, that were smelling gas. At 7am the crews of the gas companies arrived to work in the area but later, at 8.20am for accumulation of gas the explosion occured.
Firefighter companies of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are working in the area that seems to have been bombarded.
Over 20 buildings are damaged
Serrano street is in ruins, while Cochrane Avenue and the surrounding streets to Echaurren Square are covered by a dark smoke. Firefighters and Carabineros have closed Valparaíso's downtown and are still working in the tragedy area.
The debris of the collapsed buldings have become the biggest problem to keep the rescue efforts for the missing persons, which is the main task ordered by Valparaíso's Mayor Aldo Cornejo; "I don't care if we loose more of these historic buildings in the fires but I just don't want to loose any more porteños (people from Valparaíso)".
The historical downtown of the city have been the scene for multiple tragedies across the last three centuries. The current one remeber the huge blast of january 1st 1953, which began with the fire of the Schulze barrack and then the massive blast that blew into the air an entire block of buildings, killing 50 civilians and 36 firefighters.
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Here some shots from TV.
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