Something terrible happend to me and my familly today.

tech2000 · Post #1by **tech2000** » 31.03.2007, 03:17

I went to Valparaiso earlier today to visit a friend. Where he showed me a concert with Roger Waters he had filmed in santiago some days ago. While I got back to my homestreet about 2 hours later the street was blocked by "carabineros" and "bomberos" so I had to drive some meter ahead and turn back, park the car and walk down the street. All kind of neighbourgs I didn't even know I had told me that my wife and kids where okay and that they where at an old friends home 300 meters down the street. It actually took me while to understand the this was reallt serious business.

While I finally got home I found my home invaded by folks I've never seen, still hearing from everybode that my familly was okay. At this point I got really scared, I entered my house and find the curtains had big holes from fire. I also found that all windows had exploded from heat.

Earlier today we bought the tickets for our "return to Sweden project" which was that my wife and kids fly back to sweden the 25 of may and I stay here in Chile and finish some details needed to be fixed before I sell the house so I too can get back to Sweden and join my lovely wife again.

It must have feelt terrifying to be in the middle of it, seeing flames that burn straight through the windows.

I think the pictures are speaking for them selfs.

That is my neighbors home on the left.

This is my house on the right.

This is was used to be my balcony.

My new bedroom view.

Vinyl siding 100 years of guarantee if correctly installed.. Well not in this case.

Bomberos at work.

A curtain that got burnt through the exploded window.

My neighbor lost a lot too. But atleast he is insured... I hadn't bother to renew the insurance since we were thinking of moving back that soon.

Life really sux sometime..

I was atleast really happy for my wife and children that they had got out in time. There were an older woman that got burned...

Sad news from Chile... :cry:

Its damn cold at night now without windows..

Bye, Anders Pamdal..

LordFerret · Post #2by **LordFerret** » 31.03.2007, 05:54

I do not know what "carabineros" and "bomberos" are... police and firemen? Was this from a bomb blast?!?

How terrible!

I feel badly for you (for the material damages you've suffered), but all that really matters is that you, your wife, and your children are safe and well! My prayers go out to you and your family, God bless and keep you safe.

Post #3by **t00fri** » 31.03.2007, 07:42

What a tragedy!!!

Fortunately you are all safe. ...And perhaps the damage is somewhat more superficial (vinyl, glass etc) than it might have looked at first?? However, wasn't it most risky not to insure your house in an area that is among the world-leading earthquake regions?

Best wishes to you all!

Bye Fridger

Post #4by **ElChristou** » 31.03.2007, 10:53

No luck at all indeed... Sad way to leave a home... and a country...

tech2000 · Post #5by **tech2000** » 31.03.2007, 12:42

LordFerret wrote:I do not know what "carabineros" and "bomberos" are... police and firemen? Was this from a bomb blast?!? How terrible! I feel badly for you (for the material damages you've suffered), but all that really matters is that you, your wife, and your children are safe and well! My prayers go out to you and your family, God bless and keep you safe.

Yes, that is police and firemen, and this happend because of a man who has taken a piece of land down the hill were he plants corn and other veggies that he sells in the market here. All my neighbors has been in contact with the mayor in the city to remove him from there since he started a fire just like this about 2 years ago, before I moved here.
This man is burning the leftover from the crop.

But this is Chile. Nobody care to listen if you don't live in the "right" place... To have to belong to the rich and famous if you want someone to listen.

t00fri wrote:What a tragedy!!!

Fortunately you are all safe. ...And perhaps the damage is somewhat more superficial (vinyl, glass etc) than it might have looked at first?? However, wasn't it most risky not to insure your house in an area that is among the world-leading earthquake regions?

Best wishes to you all!

Bye Fridger

Yes it was obviously risky without an insurance for the fire. Unfurtunatly you cant get un insureance that cover earthquakes for a resonal price.
And since we are moving back to Sweden the 25 of May I thought that nothing will happend during this 2 last months. Well, my wife and kids has to go alone now since the kids enter school in Sweden in August.

So I'll have to stay longer to to fix everything here before I can sell the house.

Bye, Anders

STARNIGHTER · Post #6by **STARNIGHTER** » 31.03.2007, 13:38

I'm very sorry for your loss! Life, and what transpires in life, is so precious and fragile. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

tech2000 · Post #7by **tech2000** » 31.03.2007, 13:51

This is from the local news. It's my house on the picture...

http://www.estrellavalpo.cl/prontus4_no ... 05649.html

rthorvald · Post #8by **rthorvald** » 31.03.2007, 18:51

How terrible... I??m sorry for you and your family. Hope the damage isn??t too much...

- rthorvald

Hungry4info · Post #9by **Hungry4info** » 01.04.2007, 00:36

A terrible incident indeed.
I shall pray for you and your family.

tech2000 · Post #10by **tech2000** » 01.04.2007, 01:05

Well, we were lucky, my neighbor had it worse, 3 bedrooms were totally destroyed..

Today I have atleast had time to change all broken windows...

This is my house from the back.

My neighbor had worse luck.

Anders

Post #11by **t00fri** » 01.04.2007, 08:56

tech2000 wrote:Well, we were lucky, my neighbor had it worse, 3 bedrooms were totally destroyed..

Today I have atleast had time to change all broken windows...

This is my house from the back.

My neighbor had worse luck.

Anders

From looking at your earlier photos, I felt you might have been comparatively lucky. Great to hear!

Incidentally...

How quake-proof are these "daring" pole contructions of your houses over the "void"?? Looks like tumbling downhill WITH your houses is not a far-fetched possibility...

Bye Fridger

tech2000 · Post #12by **tech2000** » 01.04.2007, 12:01

t00fri wrote:From looking at your earlier photos, I felt you might have been comparatively lucky. Great to hear!

Incidentally...

How quake-proof are these "daring" pole contructions of your houses over the "void"?? Looks like tumbling downhill WITH your houses is not a far-fetched possibility...

Bye Fridger

The foundation are actually quite quake-proof. The house to the left of mine, has way weaker foundation than me and his house survived the big quake '85. So I'm quite confidentt that I won't be going over the void with my house..

Bye, Anders