Big earthquake kills two in Chile and hits mining

By Pav Jordan

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake hit mineral-rich northern Chile on Wednesday, killing at least two people, injuring more than 100 and halting output at some of the world's largest copper mines.

Two people were confirmed dead and 117 were injured in the magnitude 7.7 quake, which raised massive dust clouds in Chile's mountainous north and shook buildings in isolated cities up and down the Pacific coast.

Dozens of road workers were reported trapped in and around a highway tunnel that collapsed in the hardest-hit area.

"At the Galleguillos tunnel we understand there are some 50 people trapped," Navy Captain Ignacio Rojas told local television. "However, we are receiving information now that there could be more people trapped inside."

Hundreds of miles away in the Chilean capital Santiago, buildings swayed and unnerved even the earthquake-hardened.

The worst damage occurred in Tocopilla, 75 miles north of coastal mining city Antofagasta, where people were caught under rubble from crumbling rooftops and balconies.

Tocopilla's mayor, Luis Moyano, said at least 1,200 houses had been flattened, leaving 4,000 residents homeless.

"Today, the people of Tocopilla are going to have to sleep in the streets," he told local radio.