Thousands of people evacuated from Chile's low-lying coastal areas returned home on Wednesday morning after authorities called off a tsunami alarm as damage from a massive overnight earthquake seemed mostly limited. The major earthquake, with a magnitude 8.2, struck off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday, killing six and triggering a tsunami that pounded the shore with 2-meter (7-foot) waves. Mines in Chile, the world No. 1 copper producer, appeared to be undamaged. Angamos, a key copper exporting port in northern Mejillones, escaped major damage, but workers were evacuated as a precaution, port union leader Enrique Solar told Reuters. The country's president, Michelle Bachelet, declared parts of Chile's north a disaster zone, promising troops and police reinforcements to maintain order while damage was repaired after landslides blocked roads. Bachelet was scheduled to visit the affected areas later Wednesday. Authorities were evaluating the full extent of damage. Over 900,000 people were evacuated from the coastline along Chile.
