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           Powerful Aftershock Strikes Chile a Day After Deadly Quake

   by VOA News

   A powerful aftershock has struck off the northern coast of Chile, a day
   after the region was struck by an 8.2-magnitude quake that killed six
   people.

   The U.S. Geological Survey said a 7.8-magnitude earthquake was detected
   late Wednesday night about 23 kilometers south of Iquique, at a depth
   of 20 kilometers below sea level. The aftershock prompted authorities
   to issue a new tsunami alert along the Chilean coast and order the
   evacuation of thousands of coastal residents.

   Tuesday's quake struck about 100 kilometers off the country's sparsely
   populated northwest coast, triggering tsunami warnings as far away as
   Japan.  The warnings were canceled several hours later.

   Police and soldiers patrolled northern coastal areas of Chile to
   prevent looting, as television footage showed damaged homes and
   shopping centers in the port city of Iquique, 1,800 kilometers north of
   Santiago.

   Chilean President Michelle Bachelet toured the area Wednesday,
   declaring it a disaster zone. To the north, the quake triggered power
   outages in Peru, and evacuations in some southern towns there.  But
   there were no reports of serious damage or injuries.

   Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said about 300 inmates
   escaped a woman's prison in Iquique. But hours later, authorities said
   more than 100 of the escapees had voluntarily returned or had been
   captured.

   In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude quake rocked central Chile, killing more than
   500 people and destroying 220,000 homes.

   The region hit by Tuesday's quake also experienced several smaller
   temblors in recent days, including a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on
   Sunday.

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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/82-earthquake-hits-northern-chile/188
   4324.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/82-earthquake-hits-northern-chile/1884324.html