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Strong Quake Rocks Northern Chile |
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Santiago, Chile Associated Press |
| February 4, 2008 |
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A strong earthquake centered in the remote Andes rocked northern Chile on Monday but there were no early reports of injury or damage, the government's Emergency Bureau reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at about 2 p.m. local time, had a magnitude of 6.3, while Chile's seismological service put its strength at magnitude 6.6. The epicenter was 55 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Iquique, in the Andes mountains. (See map.) The quake caused some minor landslides in roads in the region and alarm among population, officials said. The emergency bureau's Web site said there were no immediate reports of victims or damage. State television reported that telephone service and traffic lights were briefly down in Iquique, a port city 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) north of Santiago. The quake was also felt moderately in other towns in the sparsely populated region and in southern Peru. Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Free Email News Updates Sign up for our Inside National Geographic newsletter. Every two weeks we'll send you our top stories and pictures (see sample). |
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