Major quake rattles Chile but no serious damageAlexandra Ulmer
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A major quake hit central Chile on Sunday, rattling buildings and temporarily triggering a coastal evacuation on fears of a tsunami, but there was no serious damage and big mines in the world's top copper producer were operating normally.
Residents in Chile's capital, Santiago, fled their homes as the tremor rattled television sets, kitchen cabinets and tables, and a mayor in the town of Parral in south-central Chile told local radio a 74-year-old woman died of a heart attack due to the quake. There were no reports of serious casualties.
The 7.1 magnitude quake struck 16 miles north- northwest of the town of Talca at a depth of 22 miles at 7:37 p.m. local time (5.47 p.m. EDT), the U.S. Geological Survey said, revising down an initial magnitude of 7.2. The tremor struck 136 miles from Santiago, home to about a third of Chile's population of 17.2 million people.
It was one of the strongest quakes to hit Chile since a massive 8.8 temblor devastated the south-central region in early 2010, which triggered tsunamis, killed about 500 people and hammered roads and infrastructure.
The government lifted a preventive evacuation order just before midnight, after about 7,000 people were ordered to evacuate the Maule region's coast due to signs the sea had retreated a bit, Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich said. No tsunami alert was issued.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/26/us-chile-quake-idUSBRE82O0HM20120326
