The mayor of Chile's capital, Santiago, says damage to the city from last month's powerful earthquake was greater than originally believed.
In comments to reporters Wednesday, Santiago Mayor Fernando Echeverria said the February 27 earthquake damaged 30,000 homes in the city, destroying 5,000 of them. He said about 181 schools were badly damaged and at least one hospital was forced to close.
The mayor said he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chilean Chamber of Construction to collaborate on the reconstruction of the capital. He said the plan calls for a team of about 40 experts to evaluate which communities in the Santiago area need the most assistance.
It has been estimated that Chile's reconstruction costs could be as much as $30 billion.
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