Trocaire aid workers are mounting a relief operation in the stricken areas of El Salvador by supplying basic key medicines and food.
The Irish Catholic Agency for World Development funded projects in the Central American area after Hurricane Mitch and, as a result, have large quantities of food and medicine on the spot.
There are understood to be a small number of Irish people living in the area but last night a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said there were no reports so far of any Irish people being involved in the earth quake.
The Central America representative of Trocaire, Ms Sally O'Neill, in Honduras which borders El Salvador, told The Irish Times yesterday that it would be at least 24 hours before they would have an idea of the final death toll, which they expected to be high.
The authorities were trying to re-establish electricity and water supplies. The government had brought in heavy-duty equipment to open up the access routes as there had been a number of landslides. "We have sent a team of three people to the border between Honduras and El Salvador and they are hoping it will be opened within the next few hours. They will then go in and make an assessment of the situation," she said.
"I'm staying here to wait to see what the situation is and then will co-ordinate the relief action. The supplies we have are basic key medicines and food. The most crucial time is within the first 48 hours and we have supplies in large quantities. When we are able to get in this afternoon, we will be much more able to make an assessment and then start the relief operation," Ms O`Neill said.
Trocaire Emergency Officer, Ms Sorcha Fennell was yesterday waiting to go across the border.
"It is very difficult to get information but areas near the border are really bad and can't be reached from San Salvador. We are hoping to get to those areas. We have an office on the border and we're going down there now," she said.
She said there had been something like 550 tremors since the earthquake. The infrastructure in El Salvador was very bad and people were very vulnerable.
There are four Irish Trocaire workers in Central American based in Honduras. The agency also has contacts in San Salvador. El Salvador itself is about the size of Munster.
It is estimated there are around 15 to 20 Irish people living in different parts of the area. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said last night that they had contacted the Irish Embassy in Mexico which would be the nearest and there were no reports of any Irish people being involved.