New 5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Chile
A new earthquake measuring 5.1 points on the Richter scale hit the Chilean central Biobio region in the early hours of Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake occurred some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the country`s second largest city of Concepcion.
On Saturday, a 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurred to the north of Concepcion. According to latest reports, 708 people were killed as a result of the tremor.
On Sunday, there were numerous 4.8-6.1 magnitude aftershocks in Chile.
A state of emergency was declared in Biobio and in neighboring Maule region following the quake. The Chilean authorities placed the regions under curfew for Sunday night to prevent looting.
According to the country`s president, Michelle Bachelet, some 2 million Chileans were left homeless and 1.5 million houses were damaged by the quake.
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