Haiti Earthquake Death Toll versus Chile's Earthquake Death Toll
According to the experts, Chile's very recent earthquake was much more serious, devastating than the one in Haiti. So, you'd think that if Haiti claims 200,000 or more dead, there should be many more in Chile. At least I, the CPA's daughter, expect it. So, far Chile is only talking about hundreds of dead. A million and a half people displaced, homeless, but the actual death toll is much, much less.
Of course, there are probably some very objective reasons for this difference.
- How densely populated were the two areas hit by the earthquakes?
- How sturdy and "quake-proof" were the buildings?
Death tolls, counts, are very difficult unless, like Nazi Germany extermination Holocaust of Europe's Jewish population, it's well-planned and records are kept. It's because of the exceptionally careful and accurate German record-keeping that it's possible to prove that they contributed to the murder and death of six million Jews and millions of others. Natural disasters go at an inhuman pace, without any control.
Haiti is a poor, corrupt and disorganized country. The chances are that the government isn't very accurate in any of its population counts, and that makes it much easier to falsify, inflate, exaggerate death tolls.
The lower the official figures are in Chile, the more inaccurate the Haitian ones seem.
10 comments:
ya know, i was wondering the same thing.
as you mention, there are any number of factors which can affect the impact of an earthquake/tsunami, such as whether it hit a densely-populated area of the country or not, but the numbers are just too disparate.
There was some trouble with the numbes in Haiti, but they are hgh anyway. The toll in Haiti reminds me of earthquakes in Italy (or China) - bad construction. People get killed from collapsed buildings mostly especially when they are inside.
The earthquake in 1960 in Chile - the most powerful ever measured (9.5) killed nearly 2,000 people in Chile and left more than 2 million homeless, the New York Times says, and also killed people far away with what they now call tsunamis and called then tidal waves.
The 1985 earthquake in Chile (7.8) in Valparasio led to stict bulding codes.
It s mostly older, sometimes historic buildings that collapsed. The eathquakes actually had its epicenter offshore.
The earthquake in Haiti struck about 15 miles from the biggeest city and capital where about 2 millon lived if am right, and all the construction, even for the Pesidental palace was bad. The explanation may be corruption. eathquakkes take place more tahn 100 yewas apart in Haiti.
What I don't like about this Chile earthquake is that all of the aid aggencies are waiting outside of Chle for the go-ahead and Chile wants to insist it doesn't need any help. How can it be that it caan't use any help?
Theh death toll s reported to be in the hundreds.
I lived in Chile for eight years and Chile is very used to experiencing earthquakes and tremors, and therefore, they are well prepared. Buildings and houses are built with good infrastructure and the populations is well informed on what to do in a situation of an earthquake. As a kid, we had earthquake drills twice a month. The biggest earthquake I experienced there was a 7.5
a2, could it also be that the troops sent to Haiti made aid look less attractive for Chile? Thanks for the input.
Sammy, a1, Yes, something seems very peculiar with the Haitian numbers.
the haiti govnt is falsifying numbers? to what purpose? asking for money? dude, don't be so ignorant. chile is better prepared, and it is a moderately rich country. haiti is the poorest in the hemisphere.
Fraternizing With the Help [Today's News Poem, March 1, 2010]
“One man says that the real crisis is about to begin, with people out of work and hungry.”
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Chile-Battles-Lawlessness-Desperation-After-Massive-Earthquake-85842342.html
“It was still unclear how many people died in Dichato, where distraught residents wandered the picturesque tourist town trying to salvage possessions and gazing at their ruined homes in scenes reminiscent of the Asian tsunami in 2004 that smashed into coastlines from Thailand to India.”
--Mario Naranjo, Mon Mar 1, 2010 2:25pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6204CB20100301
“Economists' confidence in Chile's ability to bounce back from the earthquake has been strengthened by the fact its copper mines suffered minimum damage, and soon resumed operations. ”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8543816.stm
A fool takes torch to that which nature yet abhors.
Why burn or blast a place that wilts by self's accord?
When quakes, tornadoes, floods ensure whatever shore
Or neighborhood the wealthy—who are simply bored—
Desire, they get, then who needs legal theft? The shock
Of quakes can do what we would have to pay, for free.
It's true the poor are drowned again—with ink—but stocks
Appreciate post-bounce. This rising tide—it frees
A market force. Renewed. The people are renewed
With fops who found their homes on graves and rubble-bones.
The highest use for anything is wealth. Denude
The land of serfs with surf, replaced with finer tones
Of speech and class—they've carried me on broken spines
Around the world: a working man will tend not whine.
Now carry me to bed anon—I'm drunk on wine.
http://toylit.blogspot.com/2010/03/fraternizing-with-help-todays-news-poem.html
Regarding Nazi records one has to admit, that even the latest wikipeida article doesn't indicate a detah toll higher than 3 million. So much for that... Regarding the latest happenings in Chile the numbers indeed make sense when assuming there are 1000 dead in Chile and 100 times more in Haiti. Further I assume housing constuction is 3 times better in Chile and settlement aprox. 33 times lower per region in Haiti this makes: 1000x3x~33=100000. Oh yeah, I like maths!
a, Wikipedia? Anyone can claim to be an expert.
anonymous..
the Haiti earthquake should have given us all a favor..just demolished and perished that country into the sea and save the U.S. millions and millions of dollars in aid and the cost of feeding them and having them on welfare in our own country. Same thing with the Cubans...my taxes pay for their health care. And this Census isn't just counting people like all these ignorant Americans think..it's counting how many indigents and minorities there are to set aside money for them. Why don't we start helping our own country for a change instead of spending trillions on everyone else and why doesn't this country wake up and smell the coffee...we all have blinders on to what is happening around us because we don't see it.
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