Peru is confronted with the jeopardy of infectious diseases spreading and looting in the aftermath of the Wednesday 8 magnitude earthquake. Pisco is the most devastated town and President Alan Garcia has been monitoring rescue efforts since Friday.

Though at first the first man in the state dismissed the looting as rumors, the situation appeared extremely severe only when a RPP radio reporter burst into tears while he was describing the tensions in Chincha. Furthermore, a Spanish rescue team was shot at, fortunately, no one being injured.

“I have ordered to use the harshest measures and if needed to impose a curfew,” Garcia stated to the reporters, making reference to the looting that needs immediate control. Several reports of assaults and looting requested measures and the president engaged more troops to secure the region, promising peace “whatever the cost”. 1,000 soldiers were sent by governmental order to help the 2,000 police officers already protecting towns of Pisco, Ica, Chincha and Canete.

Health Minister Carlos Vallejos announced that 1,500 doctors and nurses were sent in the affected area to ensure that no epidemic is bursting.

Defense Minister Allan Wagner announced a constantly increasing death toll of 540 people and more 1,600 injured. Garcia reported that about 80,000 people were in some way affected by the earthquake, mainly through their homes being destroyed.

The situation is even worse though. More than 80 percent of the people of the urban quake-hit areas have no access to clean water and the damages couldn’t be estimated by now. Food and tents are waited, but they fail to appear. A lone truck arrived at the soccer stadium in Pisco and the 500 people sheltering there were scarcely given small packages of crackers, sweets and toilet paper. Prices have doubled or tripled at the local market and people are desperate.

The authorities blame the highway traffic to Pisco for hindering the trucks to make their way.