7.7 temblor rocks coastal area; 2 dead

A powerful earthquake shook buildings along northern Chile’s coast, killing at least two people and injuring at least 117. It was felt 1,400 miles away in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Dozens of road workers were reported trapped in and around a highway tunnel that collapsed in the area hit hardest by the magnitude 7.7 quake.

The worst damage occurred in Tocopilla, where Mayor Luis Moyano said at least 1,200 houses had been flattened, leaving 4,000 people homeless.

Television images showed cars crushed under the concrete balcony of a hotel in Antofagasta, where the quake knocked out power and phone services.

The United States Geological Survey, said the quake was 36.7 miles deep, 66 miles west of the town of Calama. The quake hit an area of many large copper mines. Chile is the world’s biggest copper producer.