Wanganui woman fears for family in Chile

Lin Ferguson | 3rd March 2010

Three days after a powerful earthquake devastated her homeland of Chile, Wanganui woman Zoila Irvine is desperate for news of her family.

She is praying her five sisters, a sister-in-law, brothers-in-law and nephews and nieces have been spared, she says.

So far the only news she has  heard is that her sister-in-law's house in the city of Concepcion was destroyed in the 8.8-rated quake. But no one could tell her whether her sister-in-law, 78, was alive.

 "I am so very worried for her. I just wish someone could tell me something."

 Mrs Irvine, who came to New Zealand in the early 1980s after meeting her New Zealand-born husband, says  the Chilean Embassy has not been able to help.

 "They wouldn't take my name or phone number or anything. They just told me to keep trying to contact someone. But you can't contact anyone because nothing is working there," she said.

Mrs Irvine, who has worked as a machinist for Kooky Fashions for 22 years,  feels  helpless, sad and extremely worried.

"I am wondering every day now if I have family left in Chile."

Some  live on the coast in  Concepcion and others 200km away in  coastal  Constitucion.

Chile is  still counting the  human and physical cost of one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said yesterday  the death toll had leapt beyond 700.

And while life was returning gradually to something close to normality in Santiago, the cities of Concepcion and Constitucion had suffered widespread damage to buildings, roads and bridges.

Mrs Irvine said even though she has lived in New Zealand for more 20 and was last in Chile  about 10 years ago, it was still a huge shock.

 "It is terrible I can't contact anyone but I will keep trying and trying. I am so very sad about them."