Strong quake rattles Chile

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile on Sunday afternoon,sending tens of thousands of peoplenear coastal communitiesfor higher ground overconcerns it would generate a tsunami.

The quake's epicentre was70 kilometresnorthwest of Temuco, at a depth of16.9 kilometres,the U.S. Geological Surveysaid. There was also an aftershock of 5.0 magnitude, the agency said.

Therewere no immediate reports ofcasualties or damages, but some cellphone communications were lost in the quake, which occurred about 3:20p.m. ET.

"There has been no harm to people, no harm to property,"Vicente Nunez, head of the National Emergency Office,said. "We will continue monitoring."

In the coastal communities of La Araucania, Puerto Saavedra, Tolten and Teodoro Smith, an estimated 50,000 people voluntarily headedto higher ground for fear the quake would generate a tsunami,Nunez said.

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.

But Chilean officials said there is no such threat, andthe Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii also said a tsunami was not expected.

Temuco, which has a population of about 250,000,is in the Araucania region of Chile, about 595 kilometres southwest of Santiago, the capital.

Freelance journalist Jorge Fernando Garreton told CBC News from Santiago that because Chile has experienced large quakes in the past,"a 7.1 magnitude earthquake is livable and it can be resisted."

Some areas around the Araucania region are without electricity and water, he said. He also saidhis mother, whoowns a lakeside cottage about 25 kilometres from where the quake struck, said "the land shook up and down intensely for about 30 seconds or so."

The latest earthquake was not as severe as the 8.8-magnitude quake that shook centralChile onFeb. 27, 2010, causing widespread damage and hundreds ofdeaths.