UPDATE: Ten missing in Chile earthquake*

 From correspondents in Santiago

April 22, 2007 12:49pm
Article from: Reuters

AT LEAST 10 people were missing on Saturday after a large earthquake in
southern Chile caused power cuts, landslides and large waves off the
nation's Pacific coast, authorities said.

The 6.2 magnitude quake hit at 13:50 local time (1750 GMT) with an
epicenter 820 miles (1,320 km) south of the capital Santiago, near the
city of Coyhaique. At first it was not thought to have caused material
damages.

The government disaster agency Onemi said later that the quake had
caused chunks of land to fall into the ocean, causing large waves, but
not a tsunami, in an area where there are salmon farms.

Onemi said in a statement army patrols and police were searching for 10
people who had been reported missing and are thought to have been on the
ocean near where the wave activity occurred.

Saturday's quake was the strongest of hundreds to have struck the region
in recent months. The length of Chile is prone to earthquakes.