Help for Worried O.C. Relatives

Orange County residents seeking information on family members in the earthquake-affected areas of Mexico can contact the Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross.

The local Red Cross announced Tuesday that it will accept inquiries from local residents who have lost touch with relatives in the Mexican states of Colima and Jalisco, the areas hardest hit by the magnitude-7.6 temblor on Monday.

The local chapter had received a handful of calls from distraught relatives by Tuesday afternoon. All inquiries are passed on to the National Red Cross in Washington, which then contacts the Mexican Red Cross to track the whereabouts of missing Mexican nationals or American tourists who might have been in the quake zone, said Orange County Red Cross spokeswoman Judy Iannaccone.

Inquiries can be made by calling (714) 835-5381.

For those seeking information on U.S. citizens, the State Department can also be contacted in Washington at (202) 647-5225.

Donations to assist Red Cross search-and-rescue operations in the affected areas can be made to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund. Checks should be made out to the fund and mailed to P.O. Box 11364, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1364.