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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Head Of Chile's National Emergency Office Resigns -Report

By George Seal

Dow Jones Newswires

SANTIAGO -(Dow Jones)- In the middle of criticism over the failure to issue a tsunami warning in the wake of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on Feb. 27, the head of the country's National Emergency Office, Carmen Fernandez, handed in her resignation Wednesday, local Radio Cooperativa reported.

Since the quake, the office, known as the Onemi, and the navy's oceanographic service have been at loggerheads as to who's responsible for the government failing to alert citizens of an impending tsunami hours after the devastating quake. The warning could have saved hundreds of lives, as the tidal waves washed away coastal towns in the central Maule and Bio Bio regions in Chile.

Fernandez said she'll formally leave her post at midnight local time Wednesday, Cooperativa reported.

President-elect Sebastian Pinera, who takes office Thursday, had asked Fernandez to stay at her post when the first democratically elected conservative administration in 52 years swears in.

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