Chile declares disaster in quake-hit regions

At least five people are known to have died and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. The quake struck at 20:46 local time (23:46 GMT) about 86km (52 miles) north-west of the mining area of Iquique, the US Geological Survey said. Waves of up to 2.1m (6ft) have hit some areas and there have been power cuts, fires and landslides. The government said the declaration of a disaster in the regions of Tarapaca, Arica and Parinacota was aimed at "avoiding instances of looting and disorder". continue