Ottawa's Chilean community anxious to hear from families

Many Chilean-Canadians in Ottawa are still waiting to hear from their families after an earthquake devastated the South American country Saturday.

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 700 people and damaged at least 500,000 homes, Chilean officials said.

Canadian Foreign Affairs officials said roughly 5,000 Canadians live in Chile with about 1,000 of those living in the area hit by the quake.

Canadian Foreign Affairs said on its website Monday that 520 Canadians have been located since the earthquake. As of 1 p.m. ET, 337 were still missing.

Chilean-Canadian Myriam Sepulveda has lived in Ottawa for more than 30 years.

She said she heard through messages on Facebook that her family, including her elderly mother in Santiago, are safe.  

Sepulveda said she is still worried about her mother's well-being, since she hasn't spoken to her since the earthquake.

Chilean telephone lines are still down, Sepulveda said.

Before the earthquake she spoke to her mother everyday.

"I just want to hear her voice. It's just my mother that worries me," Sepulveda said, through tears.

"I know I love all my family but it's my mother that I want to hug and talk to her."

Sepulveda's husband Ramon hasn't yet heard from his family, who live in Concepcion, the largest Chilean city near the earthquake's epicentre.

"I'm worried because I've seen also on television that area where my family lives in Concepcion has been dramatically affected," Sepulveda said.

Ramon Supulveda said there are more than 300 Chilean families in the Ottawa region.

The Chilean Embassy in Ottawa planned a meeting Tuesday night to discuss local initiatives to help the devastated country.

In the meantime, those seeking information about Canadians in Chile can call Canada's Foreign Affairs Department at  613-943-1055 or 1-800-387-3124.