Punitaqui was practically demolished by the quake, which reached an VIII-magnitude seismic Mercalli and a magnitude of 7.9 to 8.1 on the Richter scale.
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The extensive damage to structures was the result of an amplification effect on the ground and the poor quality of building materials, this reflects the potential for damage incurred in an intraplate earthquake with vertical fault and how it can be much greater than what which can cause one of interplate of similar magnitude, and caused severe damage in Chilean cities of La Serena, Ovalle, Illapel and Punitaqui.
The quake left 8 people dead, 360 injured and 59,913 homeless, concentrating most of those in the provinces of Elqui and Limarí.
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Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Punitaqui is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá, Monte Patria, Illapel, Salamanca, Los Vilos, Canela).
Rodolfo Dubó Segovia (born September 11, 1953 in Punitaqui) is a retired football midfielder from Chile, who represented his native country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, wearing the number six jersey.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Illapel is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá, Punitaqui, Monte Patria, Salamanca, Los Vilos, Canela).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Los Vilos is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá, Punitaqui, Monte Patria, Illapel, Salamanca and Canela).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Salamanca is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá, Punitaqui, Monte Patria, Illapel, Los Vilos, Canela).