Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
inhabitants both outdoors and in their homes. Many buildings collapsed, especially
the large structures and tall towers of the city's churches.
7.3.1
Damage and Effects in Lima
Out of the 60,000 inhabitants of Lima, it is estimated that 1,141 were killed by the
earthquake, and many more died in the aftermath due to epidemics and sickness.
Whereas the unfortunate people were killed by heavy walls or wooden roofs, some
survivors found safety during the tremor by running out into their gardens or
orchards. Of Lima's 3,000 houses, divided among 150 blocks inside the city walls,
only 25 survived the strong ground motion. Even the Viceroy palace collapsed and
was unable to continue serving its function. Lima, the capital of Peru, was in a
regrettable state (Godoy
2007
; Vargas Ugarte
1956
). Several church towers had col-
lapsed, and the Santa Ana Hospital reported 60 people buried by their roofs. It is
interesting to note that despite the number of religious buildings damaged, few nuns
or priests were killed or injured (Lozano
1748
). The nuns had known that, because
of their vows, they would not be able to escape to the outside in the case of an earth-
quake and thus had designated clear escape routes into their gardens and orchards in
advance. This planning can be considered an early manifestation of disaster-
response behavior (Contreras Badajos
2011
). The Viceroy himself organized the
search and rescue missions, as there were no organizations or institutions estab-
lished to take charge of this activity. In the following days, the city began to stink
with the remains of the many residents and horses still trapped under the debris.
According to Jose Eusebio de Llano Zapata (cited in Odriozola
1863
), between the
time of the earthquake and February of the following year, at least 2,000 people died
due to epidemics of diseases such as cholera and typhus.
Lima's economy relied on warehouses near Callao, but news of the event arriv-
ing from Callao the next day informed the survivors of Lima that a massive tsunami
had destroyed the port and town as well as nearly all of its population. For at least
3 days, Lima had no food supply. The Viceroy designated as top priorities the repair
of ovens and the importation of wheat from other areas, and by the fourth and fi fth
days after the earthquake, bread had begun to be made and distributed. Unfortunately,
some people began to sell food at four times its usual price. Looting activity and
treasure hunting amid the debris were also reported in the aftermath. People could
not remain in their homes, which had been reduced to debris, and thus, the city's
squares and its gardens and orchards became places of provisional shelter, fortifi ed
with material recycled from the ruins of former houses. The wealthy abandoned the
city in favor of ranches in the countryside; others migrated to Arequipa to the south.
By January of the following year, the people had largely rebuilt their houses using
material recycled from the debris. Then, on February 21, 1747, with the passing of
King Felipe V and the coronation of King Fernando VI, it became necessary to
honor and celebrate both the previous and incoming kings. To this end, despite the
broken economy of the city and the slow process of rebuilding, the Viceroy ordered
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