The earthquakes have decreased, however, many in Managua with the memoreies of 1972 are still uneasy, sleeing outdoors as seismologists cannot assured them that another big won’t happen.
First Lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo told Nicaraguan “we have to live on constant alert”. She also urged people to sleep under open skies until further notice.
The government agency in charge of disaster preparedness, Sinapred, said it was getting ready for a “catastrophe of major proportions”.
Soldiers have been erecting field hospitals and the Red Cross urged people to donate blood to replenish the country’s blood banks.
Some people considered to be at high risk either because of their age or because they live in houses at risk of crumbling have been moved to shelters.
Past memories
Much of Managua was destroyed in the 1972 quake and many families continue to live in buildings damaged then.
In the past week, Nicaragua was hit by three quakes of magnitudes ranging between 5.1 and 6.7, as well as dozens of aftershocks.
Two people have died and dozens been injured.
Managua resident Daniela Artola, 56, said her family was jumpy. “We’re scared, more than anything because of the memories of the past,” she said.
“The worst is the wind in the night; every gust puts us on alert again, because it breaks the silence.”
The US Geological Survey, which monitors seismic activity around the world, said it could not confirm whether the fault line running underneath Managua had been reactivated, but said it was not unusual for quakes to affect nearby faults.
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