Quake Leaves Many Homeless

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31255, 30 December 1966, Page 9

Quake Leaves Many Homeless

(N.ZP.A -Reuter—Copyright)

TALTAL (Northern Chile), Dec. 29. Thousands of frightened people camped out in surrounding countryside overnight after fresh tremors in the earthquake-shattered port, of Taltal, 725 miles north of Santiago.

An under-sea volcano was preceded by an earthquake which rolled across the northern coast of Chile yesterday, virtually destroying one town and badly damaging three others.

Three people were killed, two are missing and dozens more are injured.

Officials said Taltal was at the epicentre of the quake which registered eight on a scale of 12.

Officials in Santiago said 4000 people were left homeless.

The Chilean Navy issued a warning last night that if the volcano continued to erupt, a tidal wave could flood Taltal. The volcano is about 25 miles out in the Pacific ocean.

Residents of Taltal reported watching in awe as the fire spat up from the ocean after the pre-dawn earthquake.

The reported deaths and injuries all were in or near Taltal, a town of about 10,000 who live in old, flimsy homes. A crumbling wall killed a nine-year-old boy. A man was

found dead in a caved-in mine. Another dead man was removed from the ruins of a house.

Officials said 50 per cent of the homes and buildings of Taltal were destroyed or damaged. In the ports of Tocopilla and Copiago and the city of Calama, all in the north, the earthquake took down about 25 per cent of the homes.