Locals anxious to hear from Chilean relatives in wake of earthquake

Maria Cuevas, Consul General of Chile in Vancouver, is urging the city’s Chilean community to be patient in trying to reach family and friends in the wake of the devastating earthquake.

“The situation in Chile is very delicate, and of course it’s a big disaster and we don’t know the extent of the damage yet,” she said Saturday.

The consulate fielded calls all day from people anxious to hear from loved ones in Chile.

An estimated 15,000 Chilean-Canadians live in B.C. and Alberta, and the consulate is suggesting that people try to reach family and friends through email or social networking sites such as Facebook, as phone lines are still down in quake-affected areas.

Cuevas was also in touch with the Chilean Olympic team Saturday as they prepared to return home as soon as possible.

Luis Alberto Santa Cruz, president of the Chilean Ski Federation, who is with the country’s small Olympic delegation, said the athletes’ have all heard from their families, who fortunately survived.

“Of course, we’ve been very affected by what’s happened in Chile, there’s a lot of destruction,” said Santa Cruz.

Alpine skier Noelle Barahona, 19, is one of three Chilean skiers at the Games. She will stay on for the closing ceremonies Sunday, along with Santa Cruz and two other members of the Chilean Olympic team.

The nation’s two other Olympians, Jorge Landru and Maui Gayme, have already left Vancouver, having completed their races. Landru was in Seattle and Gayme in France when the earthquake struck their native country.

Source:theprovince.com/