On the morning of Feb. 27, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Chile. Hundreds have died. A broken infrastructure and a seemingly lackluster government response have put thousands more in jeopardy.The quake emanated from a spot in the Pacific Ocean, 210 miles southwest of the capital, Santiago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A USGS tracking program fixed the rupture’s location at 21.7 miles below the seabed. The epicenter was close enough to land that the initial shocks caused havoc on Chile’s shoreline even before a tsunami arrived there.

The resulting tidal waves arrived in Chile 30 minutes after the first tremor, the largest measuring 7.7 feet high. The tsunami merited a Pacific Ocean-wide warning, causing nations as far away as Russia and Japan to take precautions. The waves caused minimal damage in areas outside the earthquake zone, however.

With many coastal towns and roads in ruins, Chileans have had to fend for themselves. Some areas have turned into battlegrounds, where bands of looters face off against property owners, or each other. Residents of the port Talcahuano, BBC correspondent Will Grant reported, have grown so used to gunfire that they now ignore it.

Soldiers and police have stepped in to quell unrest in some cities. However, former President Michelle Bachelet’s decision to wait 36 hours before authorizing military action has drawn much criticism.

Due to its history, Chile holds its military at arm’s length. From 1973 to 1990 a right-wing military dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet ruled the nation. During this time around 27,000 Chileans perceived to be enemies of the state, including Bachelet, were arrested and imprisoned.

Bachelet’s term expired on March 11, and president-elect Sebastián Piñera has been inaugurated in her place. Billionaire Piñera is the first conservative president to come to power since the junta.

Minutes before his inaugural speech, a 7.2-magnitude aftershock rocked Santiago. Dozens of aftershocks have impacted the quake zone since the initial disaster.

“… It is one of those amazing larger than life occurrences which reminds us how little control we have of nature,” said junior Elysa Polovin, corresponding via e-mail. Polovin is presently studying abroad in neighboring Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Compared to the 7.0 Haiti earthquake on Jan. 12, Chile’s situation is significantly less dire. Prior to the quake, Chile was one of the most prosperous countries in South America.

As of March 14, according to Reuters, managers shut down a number of copper mines in central Chile due to electrical blackouts. Chile is the world’s top copper exporter and wealth from copper and other such resources will now go towards recovery.

“What has happened to all of us is tremendous,” said Bachelet in a statement to the New York Times “But at least we are alive. And as long as we are alive we are going to get on our feet and move forward.