More than 700 people have been killed after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday morning, causing massive destruction to homes, roads and infrastructure.

CARE does not have a permanent presence in Chile, but we are supporting the emergency relief activities of a local partner on the ground.

The quake was followed by a 2.3-metre tsunami that crashed into Chile’s coast, causing further devastation. While the exact extent of the damage is not yet known, reports are that the affected areas have been severely damaged.

CARE has released an initial €25,000 (£22,609) to support the relief efforts of our local partner in Chile. With nearly 60 years of emergency experience in Latin America and South America, CARE has emergency response experts on standby in the region ready to deploy. We are coordinating with local partners and members of the international aid community and we are prepared to provide further assistance if necessary.

CARE is also part of the massive humanitarian response in nearby Haiti, where a devastating earthquake Jan. 12 killed more than 222,000 people and left more than 1.2 million people homeless.