At least 10 dead as two earthquakes hit Lorca, Murcia
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By h.b. - May 11, 2011 - 9:10 PM
10,000 people are to spend Wednesday night in the open as their homes have been damaged in the quake
The daughter of one of the fatalities is led away - Photo EFEThe daughter of one of the fatalities is led away - Photo EFE
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Ten people have died following two earthquakes centred close to the Murcia town of Lorca on Wednesday. The first quake around 5pm was measured at 4.4 on the Richter Scale, but the second at 8.47pm reached 5.1.

The Government Delegation offices described the situation in the town as ‘chaotic’ on Wednesday evening as the local hospital had to be evacuated because of cracks appearing in the walls.
‘Everyone is in the street. There is a lot of fear’ said one local, as people ignored calls from the local Mayor for people to return to their homes.

Most of the fatalities were caused by fallen masonry and came from the Las Viñas area of the town. There parts of buildings have collapsed and others have suffered structural damage. One three story building in Calle Infante Juan Manuel
Photo EFE
Photo EFE
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collapsed completely and it is feared that people may be trapped in the rubble.

Fallen masonry, damaged cars in the street, images of the town soon appeared on the media and the internet. A pensioners’ home, and the Town Hall were also evacuated, and the wall of a sports pavilion collapsed. Local roads and bridges have suffered cracks and damage. Many other buildings have been seriously damaged.

One of the most dramatic moments was when the bell tower of a local church collapsed live on television, just a few metres away from a reporter from the TVE programme, ‘España Directo’.

The second quake was felt as far away as Madrid, Almería, Jaén, Málaga, Granada and Sevilla, and is being described as the worst quake in Spain, as far as fatalities are concerned
Photo EFE
Photo EFE
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for 5 years. The epicentre of both quakes was located to the east of Lorca, the second one slightly closer to the town.

The Prime Minister announced that he was sending an Army Emergency Unit to the town to help in the operation and one of the first jobs was to prepare 10,000 meals for those who found themselves homeless. The local feria site was prepared for some 10,000 people to spend the night in the open air.

There are fears that there could be more tremors.
An emergency number 900 117 816 has been put into operation for those who are concerned about relatives and friends.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_30455.shtml#ixzz1M4smoK2W