A strong magnitude-6.7 earthquake has shaken central Chile, prompting officials to order a preventative evacuation of a stretch of coastline and causing hundreds of people in the capital to flee buildings in panic.

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck central Chile, the strongest and longest that many people said they had felt since a huge quake devastated the area two years ago.

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.

Commuters enraged by delays in evening train services set fire to one of South America’s biggest stations, looted nearby shops and attacked riot police.