150px|A recently constructed kiosk with the new design. 125px|The original design of the kiosk, as shown in the plans by the Municipality. Left: A recently constructed kiosk with the new design. Image: Diego Grez.Right: The original design of the kiosk, as shown in the plans by the Municipality. Image: Ilustre Municipalidad de Pichilemu. Eight months after a catastrophic earthquake, Wikinews has investigated the devastation caused in February and the reconstruction of Pichilemu, Chile. The February 27 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami completely destroyed Pichilemu's most coastal street and its oldest villages. Wikinews has also had access to the original design plans of the new kiosks in Pichilemu, and conducted an interview with merchant Alejandro Mella, known locally as the King of the Cochayuyo ("El Rey del Cochayuyo"), who lost his kiosk after the earthquake. Pichilemu is a coastal city in the O'Higgins Region of Chile, known as one of the "best surfing spots" in South America. Its current Mayor is Roberto Córdova Carreño, who was elected internally by the Councillors of the city in September 2009, after several political controversies that ended with three Mayors being displaced. The territory of Pichilemu has a surface of 7,491 square kilometers, and comprises at least 24 villages, such as Ciruelos, Rodeíllo and Espinillo (the latter two also severely damaged by the March 11 earthquake). Pichilemu is the most popular beach in O'Higgins Region, and many tourists visit it every summer. 'The house moved from side to side. I really thought it was going to fall': First earthquake strikes People in Pichilemu fled to La Cruz Hill , the village of Pueblo de Viudas, or simply they left the city, risking themselves because roads were very damaged. In the picture, people near Los Navegantes , going to La Cruz Hill. The earthquake took place in what is considered the "last weekend in the summer;" on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), while almost all Chileans were sleeping. Hours earlier, on Friday, thousands of people had arrived at Pichilemu. "The house moved from side to side. I really thought it was going to fall. It was 3 or 4 minutes long," Diego Grez, a Chilean student who was in Pichilemu at the time of the quake, told Wikinews in an interview. Agustín Ross Balcony after the earthquake and tsunami. The only radio broadcasting in the area was Entre Olas, directed by Jorge Nasser, which also helped Pichileminians know what happened in other affected places by the earthquake, as they re-broadcasted the audio of Televisión Nacional de Chile (National Television of Chile). On the day of the earthquake, the station reported that a local police truck had crashed near La Cruz Hill. There was no tsunami warning, and Mayor Córdova was away on holiday when the earthquake struck. The earthquake destroyed one of Pichilemu's oldest and iconic buildings, the post office , which was demolished in July. The urban centre of Pichilemu was not severely damaged by the earthquake, but its subsequent tsunami caused most of the destruction. The Agustín Ross architecture in the city (three of his buildings are National Monuments of Chile ) was damaged. Agustín Ross Balcony was completely destroyed. 'It's something unforgettable to me, I'm proud I saved all of those lives' The tsunami destroyed most of Pichilemu's coastal street establishments, including kiosks, restaurants and hotels. The picture shows the Donde Esaú Restaurant, which was severely damaged by both the tsunami and earthquake. According to SHOA , the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy, the tsunami triggered by the earthquake first reached Pichilemu, at 03:48 (06:48 UTC). A second wave came at 04:15 (07:15 UTC). The tsunami destroyed restaurants, hotels, kiosks, the Fishermen Store (Caleta de Pescadores), surf schools, the Agustín Ross Balcony (located right in front of the Las Terrazas beach) and houses near the costanera (the nearest street to the beach), and flooded the building of the Government of Cardenal Caro Province , the boarding school of Pichilemu, the city square (Arturo Prat Square), and the Supermarket El 9. Damage in Punta de Lobos and villages Punta de Lobos , Pichilemu's most popular surfing beach, is located at about four kilometers south of the city's centre. It was reported by Radio Entre Olas on February 27, that the tsunami had provoked massive damage in Punta de Lobos , Pichilemu's most popular beach. The owner of Entre Mar, an hotel and restaurant in that beach, said the tsunami had destroyed all of his buildings there. The village of Espinillo was badly damaged, and approximately 600 people were made homeless by the earthquake, Teletrece reported on March 16. "We are keeping the government informed, we're also organized with some churches [sic, religious organizations] that are working voluntarily in Espinillo, Los Boldos, Alto Ramírez [...] We thank a lot their work, that is not to give them mediaguas [temporary tenements], but something definitive, but I also think they need resources to do it," Mayor Córdova said. 'We are here because we fear about our safety': Residents scramble after second earthquake Many Pichileminians stayed in La Cruz Hill for several days after the March earthquake. On March 11, Chile was hit by a second earthquake, that reached a magnitude of 6.9, and that occurred 40 kilometers southwest of Pichilemu. It occurred at 11:39 local time (14:39 UTC), while the new President Sebastián Piñera was sworn in. A tsunami warning was issued by SHOA, between Coquimbo and Los Lagos regions. People in Pichilemu fled again to La Cruz Hill. Military authorities assured people in the hill they were going to be safe there, and that it was unlikely a tsunami was going to hit again Chile's coast. The tsunami warning was lifted at 15:50 local time (18:50 UTC). People stayed in La Cruz Hill for a longer time than after the previous earthquake, and several activities were made there, such as a concert by Chilean-Brazilian singer Joe Vasconcellos . People were also given food, wood (mostly remains from the destroyed kiosks), and electricity. Eight months on, reconstruction begins Caleta de Pescadores was destroyed almost completely after the earthquake and tsunami. The fishermen's boats were thrown more than 200 meters away. On March 20, in collaboration with the Governor of Cardenal Caro Julio Ibarra , Colonel Raúl Melo, and the Mayor of Litueche Bernardo Cornejo, Mayor of Pichilemu Roberto Córdova announced a "tourism revival campaign" of Pichilemu, promoting the surf practice, whose goal was "to make the city go back to the normality." New kiosks; interview with Alejandro Mella Alejandro Mella. On October 6, the Municipality of Pichilemu published the design of kiosks that were going to be constructed, as replacement of those destroyed by the earthquake. As of October 23, four kiosks have been constructed in Pichilemu, specifically on Las Terrazas beach, and two more are being constructed. According to Mauricio Grez, a construction engineer, the construction of one kiosk would cost up to US $ 2,500 (CLP 1,000,000). Alejandro Mella, locally known as "el Rey del Cochayuyo" ("the King of the Cochayuyo"), is a merchant of Pichilemu, who promotes the cochayuyo (durvillaea antarctica), and lost his kiosk after the February earthquake and tsunami. "I was given my [former] kiosk by the Mayor Orlando Cornejo, back in 1993. It was right in front of us [in front of Las Terrazas beach, near "the grotto of the Virgin"], and was made smithereens by the tsunami," he told Wikinews. "I have always worked on selling cochayuyo here, and the terrain where my kiosk was located before has been disputed by private people, and the municipality approved that. I talked with the Mayor and he said 'I don't know what's going on the beach'; that left me perplexed. [...] I like the new design of the kiosks, they are larger, and we can do more things with it, but they are way too expensive," he added. Mr. Mella also gave Wikinews a sample of his work as "the King of the Cochayuyo", an essay called "El cochayuyo es una mina repleta de nutrientes y sales minerales" ("Cochayuyo is a mine full of nutrients and mineral salts", pictured below), which he sells for 200 Chilean pesos (0.41 US$ ), and that contains "tips and information about the plant, and some recipes."
150px|A recently constructed kiosk with the new design. 125px|The original design of the kiosk, as shown in the plans by the Municipality. Left: A recently constructed kiosk with the new design. Image: Diego Grez.Right: The original design of the kiosk, as shown in the plans by the Municipality. Image: Ilustre Municipalidad de Pichilemu. Eight months after a catastrophic earthquake, Wikinews has investigated the devastation caused in February and the reconstruction of Pichilemu, Chile. The February 27 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami completely destroyed Pichilemu's most coastal street and its oldest villages. Wikinews has also had access to the original design plans of the new kiosks in Pichilemu, and conducted an interview with merchant Alejandro Mella, known locally as the King of the ("El Rey del Cochayuyo"), who lost his kiosk after the earthquake. Pichilemu is a coastal city in the O'Higgins Region of Chile, known as one of the "best surfing spots" in South America. Its current is Roberto Córdova Carreño, who was elected internally by the of the city in September 2009, after several that ended with three Mayors being displaced. The territory of Pichilemu has a surface of 7,491 square kilometers, and comprises at least 24 villages, such as , and (the latter two also severely damaged by the March 11 earthquake). Pichilemu is the most popular beach in O'Higgins Region, and many tourists visit it every summer. 'The house moved from side to side. I really thought it was going to fall': First earthquake strikes People in Pichilemu fled to , the village of Pueblo de Viudas, or simply they left the city, risking themselves because roads were very damaged. In the picture, people near , going to La Cruz Hill. The earthquake took place in what is considered the "last weekend in the summer;" on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), while almost all Chileans were sleeping. Hours earlier, on Friday, thousands of people had arrived at Pichilemu. "The house moved from side to side. I really thought it was going to fall. It was 3 or 4 minutes long," Diego Grez, a Chilean student who was in Pichilemu at the time of the quake, told Wikinews in an interview. after the earthquake and tsunami. The only radio broadcasting in the area was Entre Olas, directed by Jorge Nasser, which also helped Pichileminians know what happened in other affected places by the earthquake, as they re-broadcasted the audio of (National Television of Chile). On the day of the earthquake, the station reported that truck had crashed near La Cruz Hill. There was no tsunami warning, and Mayor Córdova was away on holiday when the earthquake struck. The earthquake destroyed one of Pichilemu's oldest and iconic buildings, , which was demolished in July. The urban centre of Pichilemu was not severely damaged by the earthquake, but its subsequent tsunami caused most of the destruction. The architecture in the city (three of his buildings are ) was damaged. was completely destroyed. 'It's something unforgettable to me, I'm proud I saved all of those lives' The tsunami destroyed most of Pichilemu's coastal street establishments, including kiosks, restaurants and hotels. The picture shows the Donde Esaú Restaurant, which was severely damaged by both the tsunami and earthquake. According to , the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy, the tsunami triggered by the earthquake first reached Pichilemu, at 03:48 (06:48 UTC). A second wave came at 04:15 (07:15 UTC). The tsunami destroyed restaurants, hotels, kiosks, the Fishermen Store (Caleta de Pescadores), surf schools, the (located right in front of the Las Terrazas beach) and houses near the costanera (the nearest street to the beach), and flooded the building of the Government of , the boarding school of Pichilemu, the city square (Arturo Prat Square), and the Supermarket El 9. Damage in Punta de Lobos and villages , Pichilemu's most popular surfing beach, is located at about four kilometers south of the city's centre. It was reported by Radio Entre Olas on February 27, that the tsunami had provoked massive damage in , Pichilemu's most popular beach. The owner of Entre Mar, an hotel and restaurant in that beach, said the tsunami had destroyed all of his buildings there. The village of was badly damaged, and approximately 600 people were made homeless by the earthquake, reported on March 16. "We are keeping the government informed, we're also organized with some churches [sic, religious organizations] that are working voluntarily in Espinillo, Los Boldos, Alto Ramírez [...] We thank a lot their work, that is not to give them mediaguas [temporary tenements], but something definitive, but I also think they need resources to do it," Mayor Córdova said. 'We are here because we fear about our safety': Residents scramble after second earthquake Many Pichileminians stayed in La Cruz Hill for several days after the March earthquake. On March 11, Chile was hit by a second earthquake, that reached a magnitude of 6.9, and that occurred 40 kilometers southwest of Pichilemu. It occurred at 11:39 local time (14:39 UTC), while the new Sebastián Piñera was sworn in. A tsunami warning was issued by SHOA, between and regions. People in Pichilemu fled again to La Cruz Hill. Military authorities assured people in the hill they were going to be safe there, and that it was unlikely a tsunami was going to hit again Chile's coast. The tsunami warning was lifted at 15:50 local time (18:50 UTC). People stayed in La Cruz Hill for a longer time than after the previous earthquake, and several activities were made there, such as a concert by Chilean-Brazilian singer . People were also given food, wood (mostly remains from the destroyed kiosks), and electricity. Eight months on, reconstruction begins Caleta de Pescadores was destroyed almost completely after the earthquake and tsunami. The fishermen's boats were thrown more than 200 meters away. On March 20, in collaboration with the , Colonel Raúl Melo, and the Mayor of Bernardo Cornejo, Mayor of Pichilemu Roberto Córdova announced a "tourism revival campaign" of Pichilemu, promoting the surf practice, whose goal was "to make the city go back to the normality." New kiosks; interview with Alejandro Mella Alejandro Mella. On October 6, the Municipality of Pichilemu published the design of kiosks that were going to be constructed, as replacement of those destroyed by the earthquake. As of October 23, four kiosks have been constructed in Pichilemu, specifically on Las Terrazas beach, and two more are being constructed. According to Mauricio Grez, a construction engineer, the construction of one kiosk would cost up to US $ 2,500 (CLP 1,000,000). Alejandro Mella, locally known as "el Rey del Cochayuyo" ("the King of the Cochayuyo"), is a merchant of Pichilemu, who promotes the cochayuyo (), and lost his kiosk after the February earthquake and tsunami. "I was given my [former] kiosk by the Mayor Orlando Cornejo, back in 1993. It was right in front of us [in front of Las Terrazas beach, near "the grotto of the Virgin"], and was made smithereens by the tsunami," he told Wikinews. "I have always worked on selling cochayuyo here, and the terrain where my kiosk was located before has been disputed by private people, and the municipality approved that. I talked with the Mayor and he said 'I don't know what's going on the beach'; that left me perplexed. [...] I like the new design of the kiosks, they are larger, and we can do more things with it, but they are way too expensive," he added. Mr. Mella also gave Wikinews a sample of his work as "the King of the Cochayuyo", an essay called "El cochayuyo es una mina repleta de nutrientes y sales minerales" ("Cochayuyo is a mine full of nutrients and mineral salts", pictured below), which he sells for 200 Chilean pesos (0.41 US$ ), and that contains "tips and information about the plant, and some recipes."
D
Cochayuyo
D
Mayor
D
Councillors
D
political controversies
R
Ciruelos, Rodeíllo and Espinillo
, and
D
La Cruz Hill
D
Los Navegantes
D
Agustín Ross Balcony
D
Televisión Nacional de Chile
D
a local police
D
the post office
D
Agustín Ross
D
National Monuments of Chile
D
Agustín Ross Balcony
D
SHOA
D
Agustín Ross Balcony
D
Cardenal Caro Province
D
Punta de Lobos
D
Punta de Lobos
D
Espinillo
D
Teletrece
D
President
R
Coquimbo and Los Lagos
and
D
Joe Vasconcellos
D
Governor of Cardenal Caro Julio Ibarra
D
Litueche
R
$ 2,500 (CLP 1,000,000). Alejandro Mella, locally known as "el Rey del Cochayuyo" ("the King of the Cochayuyo"), is a merchant of Pichilemu, who promotes the cochayuyo (durvillaea antarctica), and lost his kiosk after the February earthquake and tsunami. "I was given my [former] kiosk by the Mayor Orlando Cornejo, back in 1993. It was right in front of us [in front of Las Terrazas beach, near "the grotto of the Virgin"], and was made smithereens by the tsunami," he told Wikinews. "I have always worked on selling cochayuyo here, and the terrain where my kiosk was located before has been disputed by private people, and the municipality approved that. I talked with the Mayor and he said 'I don't know what's going on the beach'; that left me perplexed. [...] I like the new design of the kiosks, they are larger, and we can do more things with it, but they are way too expensive," he added. Mr. Mella also gave Wikinews a sample of his work as "the King of the Cochayuyo", an essay called "El cochayuyo es una mina repleta de nutrientes y sales minerales" ("Cochayuyo is a mine full of nutrients and mineral salts", pictured below), which he sells for 200 Chilean pesos (0.41 US$
$ 2,500 (CLP 1,000,000). Alejandro Mella, locally known as "el Rey del Cochayuyo" ("the King of the Cochayuyo"), is a merchant of Pichilemu, who promotes the cochayuyo (), and lost his kiosk after the February earthquake and tsunami. "I was given my [former] kiosk by the Mayor Orlando Cornejo, back in 1993. It was right in front of us [in front of Las Terrazas beach, near "the grotto of the Virgin"], and was made smithereens by the tsunami," he told Wikinews. "I have always worked on selling cochayuyo here, and the terrain where my kiosk was located before has been disputed by private people, and the municipality approved that. I talked with the Mayor and he said 'I don't know what's going on the beach'; that left me perplexed. [...] I like the new design of the kiosks, they are larger, and we can do more things with it, but they are way too expensive," he added. Mr. Mella also gave Wikinews a sample of his work as "the King of the Cochayuyo", an essay called "El cochayuyo es una mina repleta de nutrientes y sales minerales" ("Cochayuyo is a mine full of nutrients and mineral salts", pictured below), which he sells for 200 Chilean pesos (0.41 US$