Chicago-area Chileans are keeping tabs on friends and family members after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile on Saturday. Aftershocks continue to rock the area around the city of Concepcion and Santiago, the country’s capital.
Mario Venegas lives in Evanston. He says it took him about four hours to get in touch with his family members in Santiago. Venegas says his sister’s house sustained a lot of damage.
VENEGAS: Broken walls and everything inside the house was broken, like glasses. And everything breakable, it broke.
Venegas says all his family members are safe. The United Nations says it’s rushing aid to the country.
The Chilean National Emergency Office reports a death toll of more than 700 people. Officials say many are still missing.