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.
The magnitude 7.7 quake 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 coastal highway tunnel that collapsed in the hardest-hit area. Government spokesman Ricardo Lagos said rescuers would try to reach them early on Thursday.
"They will be evacuated by the Navy via the ocean," he said. "As far as we know there are no injured or dead (among them)."
Hundreds of miles away in the capital Santiago, buildings swayed and unnerved even the earthquake-hardened.
The area rocked by the earthquake lies between Chile's northern Pacific coast on one side and the barren Atacama desert and towering Andes mountains on the other.
The worst damage was in Tocopilla, 75 miles north of coastal mining city Antofagasta, where people were caught under rubble from crumbling rooftops and balconies.
At least 115 people were injured in Tocopilla and its mayor, Luis Moyano, said about 1,200 houses had been flattened, leaving 4,000 residents homeless. Continued...
Authorities in Chile say at least two people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a powerful earthquake struck in the north, sending terrified residents into the streets and cutting power to some of the country's copper mines. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 15:40:53 UTC.

Officials said two women were killed Wednesday when their houses in the town of Tocopilla collapsed during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake. They also said another person may have died in a tunnel collapse there, which has trapped some 50 workers.

Government spokesperson Ricardo Lagos said "They will be evacuated by the Navy via the ocean.  As far as we know there are no injured or dead among the workers."  

The USGS said the quake was centered west of the town of Calama. It was felt as far away as the Chilean capital, Santiago, and neighboring Peru and Bolivia.

Television images showed cars crushed under the concrete awning of a hotel in Antofagasta, 170 kilometers south of the epicenter.

The police chief of Arequipa, Hernan Tamayo said, "People ran out into the streets because of how prolonged the quake was. There was a lot of alarm but no material or human damage."

The quake was followed by six aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 5.7. Additionally, the quake triggered a tsunami warning which was later lifted. 

In Tocopilla, 115 people were injured. Mayor Luis Moyano said about 1,200 houses had been flattened. "Today, the people of Tocopilla are going to have to sleep in the streets," he said in a radio address.

In total, 3,000 homes have been destroyed in Chile, according to the Housing Minister. The government has airlifted hundreds of portable homes to provide shelter.

In August, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Peru, killing about 540 people and injuring more than 1,000 others. The southern port city of Pisco was one of the areas devastated by the powerful quake, which lasted two minutes.