A major quake hit central Chile on Sunday, rattling buildings and temporarily triggering a coastal evacuation on fears of a tsunami , but there was no serious damage and big mines in the world's top copper producer were operating normally - Reuters reported.
Residents in Chile's capital, Santiago, fled their homes as the tremor rattled television sets, kitchen cabinets and tables, and a mayor in the town of Parral in south-central Chile told local radio a 74-year-old woman died of a heart attack due to the quake. There were no reports of serious casualties.
The 7.1 magnitude quake struck 16 miles north- northwest of the town of Talca at a depth of 22 miles at 7:37 p.m. local time (5.47 p.m. EDT), the U.S. Geological Survey said, revising down an initial magnitude of 7.2. The tremor struck 136 miles from Santiago, home to about a third of Chile's population of 17.2 million people.
It was one of the strongest quakes to hit Chile since a massive 8.8 temblor devastated the south-central region in early 2010, which triggered tsunamis, killed about 500 people and hammered roads and infrastructure.
