It was just February 27, 2010 when the region had been ravaged by the magnitude-8.8 quake and resulting tsunami that killed almost 521 people and left 200,000 homeless. This has been a fresh memory for the residents, and now, another earthquake had happened.
Magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Chile just on Sunday, prompting tens of thousands to flee the coast for higher ground amid, but luckily, there were no reports of deaths or damage of property.
The quake struck at a depth of about 11 miles (17 kilometers), according to the USGS, and there was at least one aftershock of 5.0 magnitude. Some cell-phone communications and electrical power were knocked out in the Araucania region where the quake was centered, 370 miles (595 kilometers) south-southwest of the capital, Santiago.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was about 45 miles (70 kilometers) away from the provincial capital of Temuco, which has a population of about 250,000.
There is an estimated 50,000 people in the communities of La Araucania, Puerto Saavedra, Tolten and Teodoro Smith evacuated to higher ground.
Hundreds of tourists spending the New Year’s holiday at the resorts of Villarica and Pucon cut their trips short and headed north, clogging roads and toll stations.