Massive quake kills two in Chile

Rescue teams in Chile have been hard at work after an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale claimed at least two lives and caused extensive damage. The quake hit the mineral-rich north of the country. The coastal city of Antofagasta suffered badly as buildings collapsed, injuring dozens.

The epi-centre was close to the town of Calama, but the effects were felt as far away as the capital, Santiago. Some 1,200 homes were said to have been flattened in Tocopilla north of Antofagasta and around 50 road workers were trapped when a motorway tunnel caved in.

The quake, followed by an aftershock of magnitude 5.7, has disrupted phone and power lines, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage, or establish a definitive death toll.

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