Series of Three Large Earthquake aftershocks rattle Chile

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places

Series of Three Large Earthquake aftershocks rattle Chile

    * By Carolina Pica, Dow Jones news wires
    * From: NewsCore
    * March 12, 2010 4:40AM


A SERIES of strong earthquakes rattled Chile today, cutting short the inauguration of billionaire conservative Sebastian Pinera as the country's president.

Officials sped up the proceedings at the Congress in the port city of Valparaiso as the three aftershocks immediately raised memories of the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on February 27.

A US Geological Survey spokesman told NewsCore that aftershocks were not unexpected, saying that they could continue for months or even years.

The tremors highlighted the challenge which the new president faces with rebuilding the center and southern sections of the country, parts of which were devastated by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves.

Hundreds of people were killed.

"Let's dry our tears and put our hands to work on the huge task of rebuilding our country," Pinera said in brief comments shortly after being sworn in.

"We are going to rebuild a better country than we had before."

According to the USGS, the aftershocks were magnitude 6.9, 6.9 and 5.8 earthquakes, in that order.

Amid criticism the government's emergency management team was slow to respond to the possible threat from tsunami waves, a tsunami alert was issued for a large stretch of the coastline along central Chile, from Coquimbo in the north to the Los Lagos region in the south.

Some office buildings and schools in areas where the quakes were felt, including Santiago, were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Later, as Pinera was scheduled to attend the inauguration lunch at the Cerro Castillo palace, he joked with one of his guests, saying the opposition Concertacion alliance was "trying to move the floor under us."

After the guests greeted Pinera, they were evacuated from Valparaiso and the luncheon was cancelled.

Pinera is the first democratically elected conservative president in 52 years and the first right-leaning leader since the end of General Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship.

He takes over from Michelle Bachelet, who ends her four-year term with a record 84 percent approval rating, despite harsh criticism in the immediate aftermath of the quake for not acting quickly enough to restore order and get relief out to victims.