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Powerful quake in Chile kills 8
October 15, 1997
Web posted at: 3:11 p.m. EDT (1911 GMT)
SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- A powerful earthquake rocked much of Chile and parts of neighboring Argentina, setting off massive landslides and killing at least eight people throughout the region, authorities said Wednesday.
The magnitude 6.8 quake struck an isolated area about 140 miles (224 km) north of capital Santiago late Tuesday and lasted for about two minutes, Chile's National Emergency Office said.
Several aftershocks rumbled across the region Wednesday, and authorities said about 100 people were injured in the quake and its aftermath.
A L S O :
A detailed map of Chile
Interior Minister Carlos Figueroa said seven people were confirmed dead, including an entire family of five, in the cities of Ovalle, Coquimbo and Pueblo Nuevo. Authorities Wednesday reported another man died of a heart attack.
The governor of La Serena, the capital of the hardest hit region, urged people to remain calm.
"After the scare, the situation is under control," Gov. Renan Fuentealba told state television.
The quake was felt along a 750-mile (1,200-km) north-south stretch of Chile's narrow territory, including the capital, where telephone service and power were briefly knocked out. It also was felt as far away as Argentine capital Buenos Aires, about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east of Santiago.
Among the most affected areas were around the epicenter in the towns of Illapel and Vicuna, where buildings crumbled, windows shattered and power lines were toppled.
In the northern Andes, small villages were isolated by massive mudslides that blocked roads, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the area.
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Related sites:
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- Worldwide information on earthquakes
- Sismologia - Universidad de Chile (In Spanish)
- Disaster Relief.org
- Seismology Resources on the Internet
- U.S. Geological Survey - Earthqualke Information Center, Golden Colorado
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