No tsunami alert was issued following the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that shook central Chile on Sunday (March 25). But state authorities reissued an evacuation order late Sunday for preventive measures.
The U.S. Geological Survey notes the quake struck 27 kilometers north-northwest of the city of Talca, south of Santiago, and one of the cities badly hit by the 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010. That quake generated a tsunami that killed 500 people and caused the country close to $8 billion in insured and economic losses.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said there could be close to 10 people “lightly injured” from the quake. This includes two people who sustained injuries following the collapse of a church’s ceiling in the capital, Santiago, and a person caught in a traffic accident in Biobio region, CNN reports. A 74-year-old woman who died from a heart attack was the only fatality reported, according to Reuters.
Businesses operating near the epicenter resumed operations after the quake.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
