Chile hit by 7.2 aftershock as new president is sworn in
Chile hit by 7.2 aftershock as new president is sworn in
Thursday, 11, Mar 2010 05:52
By Alex Steger.
A powerful aftershock has rocked central Chile less than two weeks after the country was struck by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake.
The 7.2-magnitude aftershock, the largest of three to strike in quick succession, hit just minutes before Chile's president-elect was due to be sworn into office.
There were no immediate reports of damage but the quakes were felt in Chile's capital Santiago, 95 miles north of the major epicentre, where windows reportedly rattled, buildings shook and phone lines went down.
Chile's navy issued a tsunami alert and local TV reported people in coastal areas moving to higher ground.
Sebastian Pinera, who was being inaugurated in the coastal city of Valparaiso, about 90 miles from the site of the earthquakes, apparently showed no sign of concern, ignoring the tremors and going on to take his presidential oath.
The building in which he was inaugurated was evacuated after the ceremony.
According to the United States Geological Survey the first, and most significant, of the aftershocks hit at 11:39 local time (14:39 GMT) near the coastal city of Rancagua. This was quickly followed at 11:55 by a 6.9-magnitude quake and a further magnitude 6.0 shock at 12.06.
Thursday's aftershocks are the latest of a string to hit Chile after it was struck by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27th which toppled buildings and bridges killing hundreds of people. The waves created by the earthquake battered the southern coast of the country sweeping away entire fishing villages.
Around 500 people died in the original quake.