This just in:

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Hi Jeroen,

Put a note on Chile's earthquake on Playak please.

The kayaking community should be OK. Santiago, Pucon, Futaleufu and higher places are OK.
7th (Maule) and 8th (Biobio) regions are very damaged, especially the coastal places. Some villages and towns are 50% down, because most constructions are of mud ("adobe"). And a few hours after the earthquke, the sea came in (tsunami). Luckily people went to the hills, but there is very little communication and information so far.

Up to this time (midnight), 300 dead, but this number shoud be increasing.

Best,
Xavier Guijon
"

News Story:
abcnews.go.com/GMA/Chile_Earthquake/chil...ent/story?id=9969021

Hi,
some friends/paddlers I know are in Chile at this time and they are all right. There might be communication sometimes but it's hard to get connection.
The highway from santiago to the south is collapsed at the rio claro and the bio bio, so no traffic is possible.

Another sad news, upper Rio Claro has no water any more, the lost of sieta tasas?
www.eauxvives.org/forum/topic-t23321.html#p243959

grtz,

BAS

BAS wrote:
and here's the google translation of that text:

The dry earthquake breaks Radal National Park Seven Cups
A fissure in the rock would have caused the emptying of these tourist attractions.

SANTIAGO .- A typical view of the downtown area of the country was ravaged by the earthquake: the falls of La Leona, The Bridal Veil and the Seven Cups is left without water and are dry and bare rock.

The internet user Fernando Olate took photographs that showed the phenomenon and has climbed Twitter. Most social network users have reacted with skepticism Olate scolding as harm felt like a joke.

But Olate images were confirmed to be real and Jose Luis Galaz, manager of protected areas and environment of Conaf.

"It is effective. After the English Park, the water flow down a lot and do not cater to the jumps of the lioness and Bridal Veil, being completely dry. I confirmed through radio communication with the rangers," said Galahad.

Conaf He says that this summer the river had little flow and the theory that deck is a fissure in the rock caused the seepage of groundwater aquifers.

Park rangers say that after seven reappears cups water flow, "he says. And he explains that having a dock or other obstruction, would not be given the level of seriousness that the river was.

Today the park staff inspect upstream to discover the true causes of the phenomenon. "There is no danger to the public and for now only has damaged the tourist attraction. We believe that everything will return to normal in the winter when higher flow and sediment clogging the possible rift" concluded Galahad.

another 7.2 earthquake today, about 100km south of santiago.

does anybody in the area have a kayaker's view status update?