Strong Chile earthquake shakes mining hub, but damage is minimal
A strong earthquake struck Chile’s important mining region of Antofagasta on Monday afternoon, disrupting operations at some mines but ultimately sparing lives and critical infrastructure, authorities said.
The magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the heart of the world’s biggest copper-producing country, though major miners reported limited damage. The US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake’s depth at 109 kilometers (68 miles).
Chilean state copper miner Codelco halted some activities due to lack of visibility in pits or interruption of electricity supplies in specific areas, a spokesperson said.
Miners BHP and Antofagasta both said their operations were not affected by the earthquake.
Ricardo Munizaga, the regional director for Chile’s disaster agency, SENAPRED, told local news channel 24 Horas that while the earthquake triggered landslides in some production areas, there had been no reports of injuries or other major emergencies.
Residents lost power and saw some cuts to water supply in the city of Calama, home to many miners, Munizaga said, but key infrastructure was otherwise not affected.
Mining companies activated their emergency protocols and temporarily halted some operations to inspect facilities, he added.
A substantial part of Chile’s output comes from the Antofagasta region.
(By Fabian Cambero, Rishabh Jaiswal and Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Jacqueline Wong)
Codelco says operations normal after earthquake
Chilean state copper miner Codelco said on Tuesday its operations were running normally after it suspended some activities the previous afternoon following an earthquake near the northern city of Calama.
Codelco had halted some activities due to lack of visibility in open pits or interruption of electricity supplies in specific areas.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the mining region of Antofagasta on Monday afternoon, 31 kilometres east of Calama, and was felt widely in the area.
A substantial part of Chile’s copper output comes from the Antofagasta region.
Major miners in the world’s largest copper-producing country reported limited damage.
(By Fabian Cambero; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)
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