The Puyehue volcano in southern Chile erupted, sending a huge plume of smoke and ash into the sky and prompting officials to evacuate about 600 people living nearby. There were no reports of injuries.

Japan has declared a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant when its cooling system failed after the massive earthquake struck.

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Chile, prompting tens of thousands to flee the coast for higher ground amid fears it could generate a tsunami like the one that ravaged the area last year.

AN AFTERSHOCK measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale and four other tremors rocked disaster-hit Chile yesterday, triggering a tsunami alert just minutes before billionaire Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as the new president.

DOZENS of looters were arrested yesterday as they scavenged among the wreckage of the massive Chilean earthquake that has killed at least 723 people.