Rescue Workers Parachute into Bolivian Towns Hit by Quake

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit Bolivia this century shook the central part of the country early Friday.

The earthquake measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and has claimed at least 60 lives. Many more people are missing, CNN reports.

Quake-triggered landslides cut access to two towns jolted by the powerful tremor, so emergency workers parachuted into the affected area to begin search and rescue operations.

The quake, which hit shortly before 1 a.m., destroyed hundreds of homes in the farming towns of Aiquile and Totora. The area is home to Quechua Indian farming communities and is about 250 miles east of the capital, La Paz. Early reports indicate that the quake destroyed up to 80 percent of the homes in both towns.

At least 35 people suffered injury during the tremor, which was followed by a series of aftershocks.

The quake's epicenter was about 75 miles or 120 kilometers east of Cochabamba, which is southeast of La Paz. Geologists report that it was preceded by a tremor that measured 5.9 on the Richter scale.

The entire mountainous region of Cochabamba felt the second and more powerful tremor.

Bolivia's President Hugo Banzer headed to the battered area early Friday.

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Related Links

National Earthquake Information Center -- United States Geological Survey

Recent South American Earthquakes -- Scientific Alliance for South America (SALSA)

Are You Ready for an Earthquake? English or Espaņol

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