8.8 Earthquake In Chile
"A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile, killing at least 85 people and triggering a tsunami. The tremor shook the capital, Santiago, for a minute and a half early this morning, bringing down telephone and power lines. Santiago's international airport was forced to close, a highway bridge collapsed and rubble from damaged buildings fell on to the streets. A huge wave reached a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, off the Chilean coast, and warnings of tidal waves were issued in 53 other countries. The quake was centred 200 miles south-west of Santiago at a depth of 22 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake shook buildings as far away as Argentina. A series of strong aftershocks rocked Chile's coast, from Valdivia in the south to Valparaiso 500 miles to the north. The epicentre was 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, with a population of about 670,000. The US Geological Survey reported 11 aftershocks, five of them measuring 6.0 or above, in the two and a half hours following the quake. It warned that an earthquake of magnitude 8 or above could cause "tremendous damage". The quake that devastated Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, in January was magnitude 7.0." - from The Guardian. Read More...
