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 Aftershocks shook the South American country following Wednesday's
quake, the strongest in the world this year and the biggest to hit
Chile since 2010. But some residents expressed relief that the
destruction had not been greater.
The northern port city of Coquimbo, where waves of up to 4.5 meters
(15 feet) slammed into the shore, was declared an emergency area by
the government. The move gives the government a wide range of
special powers. It was aimed at speeding aid to the city and allowed
soldiers to patrol the streets to ensure security and prevent
looting.
Large fishing boats had washed up onto the streets Coquimbo. Others
vessels splintered, littering the bay with debris.
"We lost it all. It was horrible," said 79-year-old Hilda Zambra,
whose home in Tongoy, a beach town some 40 km (25 miles) south of
Coquimbo, was destroyed by surging waters. "I don't know how I got out of there," she said as a shipment of Red
Cross aid arrived in the normally quiet tourist destination and
soldiers helped clear streets of debris. "It was dark. I jumped into
some stranger's pickup truck. We left with what we had on our
backs."
The homes of 610 people were so damaged that they were unable to
return by late Thursday afternoon, according to government data.
Some 179 homes were destroyed, 87,600 remained without electricity
and 9,000 without clean water.
 The government had ordered evacuations from coastal areas after the
earthquake hit, seeking to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in
2010 when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami and hundreds
were killed.
"We want to thank people for their cooperation, which allowed for a
death toll that while unfortunate was not very high considering the
strength of the earthquake," President Michelle Bachelet told
reporters. The latest quake also knocked out power in the worst hit areas of
central Chile, although most buildings, roads and ports held up
well. The quake was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Bachelet, who said her government "learned a series of lessons" from
previous disasters, began a tour of damaged areas in the town of La
Serena, near Coquimbo.
Chile is the world's top copper producer and operations were
suspended at two big copper mines as a precaution, sending prices on
the London Metal Exchange <CMCU3> to two-month highs in early Asian
trading on concern over disruptions to supplies. Prices later dipped
as concerns about long-term disruption subsided.
State copper miner Codelco [CODEL.UL] said on Thursday morning it
had restarted operations at its open-pit Andina mine and its
Ventanas smelter.
London-listed Antofagasta Plc <ANTO.L> said it was inspecting
installations at its flagship Los Pelambres copper mine and expected
to gradually resume operations during the afternoon. Los Pelambres
is the closest major mine to the quake epicenter.
Chile's state oil company ENAP [ENAP.UL] also reported that its two
oil refineries were operating normally after earlier disruptions and
that fuel stocks were safe.
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CLEARING RUBBLE
Tsunami alerts were issued after Wednesday's quake across the
Pacific, from parts of California to Japan and French Polynesia,
although waves were generally expected to be small. In Chile, the
tsunami warning was lifted on Thursday morning.
One port used for exporting copper and other natural resources was
completely shut down on Thursday and three others closed for smaller
vessels, suggesting trade flows might be interrupted.
In Illapel, some businesses began opening and heavy machinery moved
in to start clearing up the rubble.
Quake-prone Chile has strict building regulations so newer buildings
are able to withstand even strong quakes. Many homes in Illapel and
surrounding areas are simple, adobe houses and are more prone to
damage.
A makeshift altar was erected in Illapel where a 26-year-old woman
was killed by a wall that collapsed when the quake hit.
Chile is due to celebrate its national holiday on Friday, but some
roads between Santiago and the north remained cut off.
The quake was the latest natural disaster to roil mining in Chile,
which accounts for a third of global copper output. Northern Chile
was hit by severe floods earlier this year, while a volcanic
eruption caused problems for residents in the south.
Chile runs along a highly seismic and volcanic zone where tectonic
plates meet and often experiences earthquakes. In 2014, an
8.2-magnitude quake struck near the northern city of Iquique. In
2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in central-southern Chile
triggered a massive tsunami, and more than 500 people were killed.
In the hours after that quake, President Bachelet and her government
misjudged the extent of damage and declined offers of international
aid, delaying the flow of assistance to disaster areas.
Bachelet's government was also slow to prevent looting after the
quake. Its failings hit her high approval ratings at the end of her
presidential term, although she remained popular and was elected
again in 2013.
Map of the quake region: http://link.reuters.com/zem65w
(Additional reporting by Anthony Esposito, Hugh Bronstein, Antonio
de la Jara and Fabian Cambero in Santiago, and Eric Onstad in
London; Writing by Richard Lough and Sarah Marsh; Editing by Kieran
Murray, Frances Kerry and Lisa Shumaker)
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