Social media is proving a valuable crisis communication tool for people affected by the Chile earthquake.

Mashable reports that one woman was able to track down her sister-in-law via Twitter using local hashtags which were picked up by a man in Santiago who was able to confirm her safety. Photos of the aftermath have been uploaded to Twitter and Twitpic, providing a photo log of the destruction.

Google has launched a version of its person finder application for Chile, to aid  those looking for or offering information about friends and family.

On Facebook, pages like Chile Earthquake have sprung up, with 8,500 fans creating links, photos, videos and links to Google’s person finder.

Google’s Crisis Response page also shows how people can make donations to Unicef and Direct Relief International using the company’s checkout service. That Crisis Response site has links to YouTube, Maps and News with Chile earthquake information and resources.

Ustream.tv has channels broadcasting live reports with accompanying social streams also containing requests for information on people caught up in the disaster.