Thousands of Peruvians struggled today to patch their homes and lives back together after an earthquake that killed dozens and made thousands homeless from Peru's high Andes to Pacific coast.
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Saturday's 7.9-magnitude quake flattened villages and killed at least 71 people, injured some 1,200 more and left 20,500 homeless, civil defense officials said.
The death toll continued to rise as officials worked to reach more remote rural areas, some accessible only by helicopter. They added the next challenge would be reaching those isolated hamlets to help the injured and start rebuilding.
"Here we are sleeping on the ground without protection and with my babies in this intense cold," said Ms Lucia Jimenez, 40, who set up shelter with a plastic sheet and blankets for her 7- and 9year-old children.
In the hardest hit areas, including Peru's second-largest city of Arequipa, residents like Ms Jimenez struggled to find shelter to ward off winter chill for a second night since the quake. More than 4,000 buildings were reported destroyed or damaged.
Interim President Valentin Paniagua declared a state of emergency for the entire ravaged region as he visited several towns, including Moquegua, 860 miles (1,400 kms) south of Lima, where he said the situation was heartwrenching.
Scant resources in the impoverished nation are impedingrescue efforts."We are planning to go out and look for missing people, but we don't have the money for gas for the journey," said Mr Moises Gonzalez of Arequipa's Red Cross.