Earthquake in Chile

An earthquake measuring 8.8 struck 30 miles off the central coast of Chile on Feb. 27, near Concepción, Talca and Santiago. At press time, it was known that more than 700 people had been killed and 1,500,000 buildings damaged.

Highway overpasses and bridges crumbled, the Pan-American Highway was severed and a terminal roof collapsed at the Santiago airport. Five people on nearby Robinson Crusoe island were killed by tsunami waves. More than 90 aftershocks (one as strong as 6.1) added to the damage.