Earthquake Journal Entry

Massive Quake Rocks Central America (January 16, 2001)

A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake rocked Central America on Saturday. The quake triggered lethal mudslides in El Salvador, where more than 700 people were killed and hundreds of others are missing in the rubble. More than 25,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. El Salvador's president warned that the death toll would continue rising steeply as more bodies are dug out. At least eight others died in neighboring Guatemala.

Saturday's earthquake was centered off the Pacific coast about 65 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of San Salvador. It was felt across El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and as far north as Mexico City. The quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.0 that made rescue efforts even more difficult.

Officials in El Salvador feared an outbreak of disease. Many of the victims were buried in mass graves treated with anti-bacterial chemicals to help prevent the spread of disease. Feeding the thousands of people camped in primitive shelters is another challenge faced by rescuers. The World Food Program has provided food to more than 50,000 people.

Earthquakes are common in Central America. The Cocos plate subducts or dives under the Caribbean plate along the Central American Trench just off the Pacific coast.