18th January 2001 1. Background An earthquake on Saturday 13th January of size 7.6 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre 65 miles off the Pacific coast, south east of El Salvador, has killed many hundreds of people and rendered thousands homeless. The effects of the earthquake were felt as far away as Mexico and Colombia, though damage has centred primarily on El Salvador.
Early indications are that the earthquake ahs caused enormous damage throughout the country.
Much of the damage has been caused by landslides, one of which engulfed over 200 houses in the Santa Tecla suburb of the capital. This landslide alone is feared to have killed more than 1,000 people. Water supplies to many towns and villages are reported as having been cut off. Santa Tecla, a suburb of the capital, San Salvador, has been severely affected by the mudslides which came in the wake of the earthquake and also the many thousands of aftershocks which have hindered relief efforts since Saturday. El Salvador sits within the circle, known as the Ring of Fire , around the Pacific Basin.