7.9 Quake hits chile!

Reports are coming in that a 7.9 earth quake has hit Northen chile. Reports are that there are power cuts

Just awaiting links

www.iris.edu...




[edit on 13-6-2005 by asala]

Here is a link to the MSNBC report.
MSNBC

Although there are powere outages, there are no reports yet of damage or of injuries. This is still developing so I am sure there will be more soon

CNN is claiming one death.

www.cnn.com...

bloomberg
June 13 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake shook northern Chile, at 18:44 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site. The government said at least one person died in the quake.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 shook the northern mining region of Chile earlier today (AEST), causing power cuts and driving residents from their homes in the heavily populated city of Iquique.

Acting Interior Minister Jorge Correa said on Chilean television that one person was confirmed dead in a landslide triggered by the earthquake.

Local authorities said the region suffered power cuts and telephone communication was down in the area.

"We are evaluating the situation minute to minute," one official from Chile's national emergency centre ONEMI said.

Local television reported that the cities of Iquique and Arica were the most affected by the earthquake, also felt in Peru and Bolivia.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake's magnititude meant it was capable of widespread and heavy damage.

Local oceanography experts said the earthquake did not pose any threat of a tsunami as its epicentre was in the mountains and not in ocean.





[edit on 13-6-2005 by flukemol]

[edit on 13-6-2005 by flukemol]

ONEMI, Chile's emergency services agency said that firefighters, police and other public safety officials have descended on the region to determine the severity of the situation.

Iqnique, a densely populate mining city received the bulk of the shaking. There's also no word yet on how this will affect, if at all, the mining operations in that region.






[edit on 13-6-2005 by flukemol]

7.9 earthquake hits Chile

By Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - A powerful earthquake rattled northern Chile Monday causing alarm in some desert towns but there were no immediate reports on victims or major damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the preliminary magnitude was 7.9, while Chile's Emergency Bureau said it registered at 5.6. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy. The quake struck at 6:54 p.m.

Deputy Interior Minister Jorge Correar said the epicenter was located in an unpopulated area in the Andes mountains near the Bolivian border, about 940 miles north of Santiago, the capital.

Power supply and communications were interrupted in the port cities of Iquique, 1,120 miles, north of here, and Arica, in the border with Peru.

It was also felt in other cities in the area, including Calama, next to Chuquicamata, the world's largest open pit copper mine.

A handicapped elderly man was killed when he was unable to escape as his small home collapsed, said Manuel Morales, head of the government's emergency bureau in Iquique, a coastal city about 200 miles from the epicenter. He said several people were injured but did not provide a number or other details. In addition, several homes and roads were damaged.

customwire.ap.org...

Thanks, Flukmol. I was trying to find a specific fault line linked to this quake. Has anyone seen any information regarding this?

DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH REGION
13-JUN-2005 22:44:33 -19.90 -69.13 7.9 110.8 NORTHERN CHILE

thats all i could dig up....


[edit on 13-6-2005 by flukemol]

Looking at the Iris map, it looks like earthquakes are common in that region so it must be on some fault line.

Bloomberg Update
Dionisio Perez, 80, died when his home fell on him, Jorge Correa, undersecretary of the interior, said. The quake caused houses to collapse and caused power and telephone outages. Electricity is being restored in some areas, Correa said. As many as 6 more may have died.

also said that aftershocks might last for about a month.

More deaths and injuries being reported....

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A powerful earthquake rattled Chile's remote northern Andes near the Bolivian border Monday, killing at least eight people and causing widespread damage in several mountain villages.

www.usatoday.com...

I still haven't found information on a specific fault line but here is a link to the USGS information for the quake. I'm sure someone can make better sense of the information than I can.

neic.usgs.gov...

A video image shows fallen wall in a street after an earthquake hit Iquique, about 1845km (1146 miles) north of Santiago in Chile June 13, 2005. A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook Chile's northern mining region on Monday, causing at least eight deaths, cutting power and driving residents from their homes in the port city of Iquique. The quake was also felt in the Bolivian capital La Paz and in southern Peru.[Reuters

The coastal town of Iquique suffered the worst of the damage