29 Mar 2010

Large aftershock panics people in Chile

3:08 pm on 29 March 2010

Chile has been rattled by a 6.1 magnitude aftershock which caused some panic but no damage or injuries in Concepcion, near where a massive quake struck in February.

The earthquake struck at 5:43pm on Sunday in Chile, with its epicentre located offshore 66km north of Concepcion, at a depth of 19km, the US-based Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center said.

No alert was issued by the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

"No damage was reported to people or infrastructure from this earthquake," Chile's National Emergency Office said.

Some people in the central port city of Concepcion, however, rushed out of their homes into the street as a precaution, an AFP reporter said.

In February, an 8.8-magnitude quake and tsunami centred around Concepcion in Chile killed at least 452 people and caused about $US30 billion in damage. Nearly 100 people still missing.