Hundreds of graves mark earthquake-ravaged city in Peru

PISCO, Peru — No site in this ruined city rivaled in misery that of its cemetery on Friday, where hundreds of people milled around freshly dug graves. Each coffin bore the name of its occupant scribbled in magic marker, and gravestones wedged into the dirt were marked with chalk.

Two days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 510 people and injured 1,500, clouds of dust rose around frenzied gravediggers making way for more corpses, and military transport planes bringing aid roared overhead.

In a quarter of the cemetery set aside for the youngest victims of the earthquake, a tearful family gathered at a new grave marked "Ricardo G. Torres Farfan, 2 anos."

Near the entrance to Pisco, mobs of residents looted cars and trucks bringing food and medical supplies to the city, breaking windshields with rocks, thrusting their arms through open car windows and racing on foot from one promising-looking automobile to another. Outnumbered police shot their guns into the air in attempts to disperse the crowd.

On the Pan-American highway from Lima, the earthquake tore large chunks of asphalt from the highway and created zigzagging crevices in many parts of the road.

The government was coming in for early criticism that it was not moving fast enough to aid the victims and restore order.

"There is no authority here," said Roberto Angulo, 38, a construction worker, as he wandered in front of the ruins of Pisco's church. "It's like we're dispensable."

Pledges of international contributions to aid and rescue efforts has reached $40 million, according to Agustin Haya de la Torre, the president of the International Peruvian Cooperation Agency.

Haya de la Torre explained that this sum comes from $5 million in cash and humanitarian aid since the tragedy occurred, as well as another $5 million agreed upon with a group of international donors and $30 million offered by the United Nations.

President Alan Garcia acknowledged that aid had been slow to arrive so far, but predicted that "a situation approaching normality" would be restored within 10 days. But that could seem like an eternity for those here without food and shelter.

"Nobody is going to die of hunger or thirst," Garcia said. "I understand your desperation, your anxiety, and some are taking advantage of the circumstances to take the property of others, take things from stores, thinking they're not going to receive help."