Mar 11 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The aftershock which hit Chile just as the new president, Sebastian Pinera, was being sworn in was actually stronger than the earthquake which devastated the capital of Haiti and killed appropriately 230,000 people on Jan 12.

While there are no immediate reports of damages or injuries, more aftershocks are said to be coming in every thirty minutes. There have been three very large aftershocks in quick succession this morning. The first was the 7.2, it hit about 95 miles southwest of Santiago at about 11:39 am local time. The second was a 6.7, and hit about 80 miles southwest of Santiago at around 11:55 am local time. The third hit at around 12:06 and was about a 6.0 magnitude. It was located 90 miles southwest of Santiago.

The new president is now urging the residents of Santiago, where the quake hit, to move to higher ground, and congress has already been evacuated. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the quake could generate tsunamis in a local area within 100 kilometers.“Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action,” the agency said in a bulletin.

The capital of Chile, Santiago, near where this aftershock occurred is actually a more populated area than the former Chile quake,on February 27 which was off the coast of Chile. It was a magnitude 8.8, and although original announcements said there were 723 deaths, the newest number is less, with many still missing. This quake also spawned tsunami warnings in 53 countries.

Geophysicist Don Blakeman at the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado said that the aftershock happened along the same fault zone as the original 8.8 earthquake. He also added that to feel more and more aftershocks is normal at this stage. “It’s not a sign of anything different happening. But what does occur when you get these large aftershocks, typically we have a whole series of aftershocks again,” Blakeman said.