MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES CHILE
Baku, 27 February (AZERTAC). A massive earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile. The quake struck at 0634 GMT about 91 km (56 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 317 km south-west of the capital, Santiago.
Buildings in Santiago were reported to have shaken for between 10 and 30 seconds, with the loss of electricity and communications. The US issued an initial tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Ecuador. That was later extended to Colombia, Antarctica, Panama and Costa Rica. There is no information yet on any casualties. The USGS said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 35 km. Telephone lines and internet connections appear to have been damaged.
Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.
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