Concerns grow for Britons in Chile havoc

Two British couples staying at the coastal resort of Pichilemu are among those who, last night, had not yet contacted their families.

Efforts to reach the resort are being hampered after telephone and power lines were damaged in the quake, which is so far known to have killed more than 700 people.

Kirsty Duff, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, and Dave Sandercock, from Edinburgh, both 25, arrived in the country three weeks ago, according to reports.

Andre Lanyon, from Guernsey, and Laura Hapgood, both 29, went to Pichilemu on Friday. Mr Sandercock's sister, Ellie, has posted messages on social networking site Twitter appealing for help.

Details of Mr Sandercock and Miss Duff were also posted on the missing persons website Google Person Finder, which was set up for families to post details of people missing since the earthquake on Saturday.

An eco-cottage for surfers in Pichilemu, called the Surfer's Cottage, has posted details on its website of those missing. As well as the two couples, the list includes another Briton, Tina Cadwallader Lopes, who was in the resort with her Portuguese husband and two children.

The Foreign Office has so far made contact with around 100 Britons in the stricken country but said no UK casualties had been reported at present.

Around 1.5 million people were affected by the tremors, which caused buildings and roads to collapse and left 500,000 homes severely damaged.

The quake, the most powerful to hit the nation in 50 years, sent shockwaves out from the epicentre 70 miles from Chile's second city, Concepcion.

Heroism and banditry have mingled on the country's shattered streets as rescuers braved aftershocks digging for survivors and the government sent soldiers and ordered a night-time curfew to quell looting.

In Concepcion, firefighters pulling survivors from a toppled apartment block were forced to pause because of tear gas fired to stop looters, who were wheeling off everything from microwave ovens to canned milk at a damaged supermarket across the street.

Efforts to determine the full scope of destruction have also been undermined by an endless string of terrifying aftershocks.

Chile's President Michele Bachelet said: "We are facing a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort" to recover.

British aid agencies have been among the first to respond but have reported difficulties in reaching stricken areas.

Oxfam's deputy humanitarian director Jeremy Loveless said: "Our team has to drive over the top of the Andes on badly damaged roads to get to Concepcion because the Santiago airport is still closed. Until our team has been able to reach the affected area and complete an early assessment, we are unclear how we will best be able to assist."

The British Red Cross has launched an appeal in response to the quake and the United Nations was due to begin rushing aid deliveries to Chile yesterday after its government officially asked for help. It identified its emergency needs as temporary bridges, field hospitals, satellite phones, electric generators, damage assessment teams, water purification systems, field kitchens and dialysis centres.

Join the TRAILTREKKER walk and support Oxfam's relief work

Oxfam is involved in helping people in disaster situations right around the world.

Chile, Haiti and war-torn Congo are just three of the 26 countries where the charity is providing water, aid and sanitation to thousands of stricken people.

An upsurge of fighting in eastern Congo has seen almost a million people forced to flee their homes over the past 12 months. Oxfam says it has expanded its emergency response to deal with the situation, and is now providing vital assistance to some 800,000 vulnerable people.

Oxfam is still looking for people to support its aid efforts abroad by signing up for this summer's Trailtrekker event in the Yorkshire Dales, which the charity hopes will raise some 600,000.

Last year more than 600 people took part in the non-stop 100km walk, starting and ending in Skipton.

People should enter in teams of four for the sponsored walk, which will be held on the weekend of June 5 and 6. It takes most teams around 27 hours to complete the challenge. For more information or to sign up, visit oxfam.org.uk/trailtrekker or yorkshirepost.co.uk/trailtrekker2010.