Shaken Chileans get quake relief at soccer stadium

Miguel Riffo (R) of Chile's Colo Colo fights for the ball with Victor Zapata of Argentina's Velez Sarsfield during their Copa Libertadores soccer match in Santiago March 16, 2010.

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Aftershocks still rattle walls and nerves in Chile nearly three weeks after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, intensifying grief and trauma for some while others find escape at the football stadium.

Hundreds were killed and parts of south-central Chile lie in ruins from the February 27 quake that set off tsunamis and powerful aftershocks.

In relatively unharmed Santiago, thousands packed Monumental Stadium on Tuesday to cheer on Colo Colo, Chile's most popular club. The ruined second city of Concepcion seemed all of its 300 miles away.

"If you have to die, it's best to die here in the stadium," said Colo Colo fan Rodrigo Cabello, 26, a photographer and designer who shrugged off fears of entering a football stadium in a seismically active zone.

"People come here because they need joy. A distraction. You have to let loose a little," he said.

Psychologists say it is healthy to resume normal life after such an event, although some people stricken with post-traumatic stress disorder will need therapy.

"It's good to go to the soccer game. Anything that can help people enjoy themselves is one form of treating post-traumatic stress disorder," said Alfredo Ruiz, director of Chile's Institute for Cognitive Therapy (INTECO).

Victims can expect to relive the trauma with each powerful aftershock. The closer to the epicenter, the more people will have been traumatized by seeing bodies and experiencing personal loss, Ruiz said.

AFTERSHOCKS CONTINUE

The quake was the fifth strongest on record since 1900 and as expected has produced hundreds of aftershocks, most minor but two of 6.9 magnitude -- nearly as strong as the 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti.

The aftershocks could continue for some time.

"There is the potential for a magnitude 7 aftershock. We certainly will see more in the 6 range," said Don Blakeman, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

"As each day passes, the aftershocks in general get smaller and there are fewer of them, but unfortunately this whole business is not completely understood," he said.

Meanwhile, soccer fans continue to feed their passion.

Hernan Orostegui, 64, who is in the construction business, said he sold the cement that helped build Monumental Stadium 30 years ago and was proud that the structure went undamaged.

"We have to accept this as normal. It's part of our history," he said. "In 25 years there will be another one."

Colo Colo gave the home crowd including newly inaugurated President Sebastian Pinera plenty of therapy for 90 minutes, taking a 1-0 lead over Argentina's Velez Sarsfield into injury time. But the visitors tied the game just before the final whistle, ending the therapy session on an inconclusive note.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)