Turismo Chile Issues Statement After Earthquake

Today the Turismo Chile issued a statement to the tourism industry on the effects of the 8.8 earthquake on the tourism industry.

The report said the cities closest to the epicenter of the quake, including Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco, and a number of small towns along Chile's central coast, were most affected by the quake. The northern part of Chile's Lakes and Volcanoes region, around the city of Concepcion and the Bio River, were most affected by the quake and authorities are still working on assessing the full damage.

Basic essential services including water, electricity and telecommunications are gradually being restored. The southern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region was not affected by the quake. Operations in popular tourist towns including Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Mont are reported to be normal.

Electricity and phone lines have been restored in Santiago and the city's public transportation including its metro is fully operational. Valparaiso and Viña del Mar have also reported damage. The desert region in the north of Chile and the Patagonia region in the far south were not affected by the quake and have not reported any damage.