Powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake off Chile kills at least 5, forces evacuations
FoxNews.com
A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck in the Pacific
off Chile's northern region on Tuesday, killing at least five people,
causing landslides and setting off a small tsunami, leading authorities
to order an evacuation.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo attributed the five deaths to heart attacks or being crushed. In the city of Arica, the mayor reported some minor injuries and said some homes made of adobe were destroyed.
About 300 inmates escaped from a women's prison in the city of Iquique, and officials said Chile's military was sending a planeload of special forces to guard against looting.
The quake shook modern buildings in nearby Peru and in Bolivia's high altitude capital of La Paz.
"We have asked citizens to evacuate the entire coast ... there is no serious damage to houses ... there have been no people hurt," said home office minister Mahmud Aleuy, Reuters reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded the magnitude. It said the quake struck 61 miles northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., hitting a region that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks.
The quake was so strong that the shaking experienced in Bolivia's capital about 290 miles away was the equivalent of a 4.5-magnitude tremor, authorities there said.
At least eight strong aftershocks followed in the first few hours, including a 6.2 tremor. More aftershocks and even a larger quake could not be ruled out, said seismologist Mario Pardo at the University of Chile.
Some roads in northern Chile were blocked by landslides, causing traffic jams among people leaving the coast.
Chile's national emergency office said there were initial reports of landslides partially blocking some roads and highways, and it called for the "preventive evacuation" of the country's northern coastline, Reuters reported.
The tsunami warning center cancelled tsunami watches for areas other than northern Chile and southern Peru. The only U.S. impact might be higher waves Wednesday for Hawaii's swimmers and surfers, it said. A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, where authorities were monitoring the situation, Reuters reported.
An official at Peru's civil defense office said evacuations were underway on that country's coast. The official, who did not give her name, said there were no immediate reports of damage. Police officer Alejandro Rosado in a Tacna, a Peruvian town near the coast, said no damage or injuries had been reported there.
Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded also happened in Chile — a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.
Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken Chile's far-northern coast in the past two weeks, keeping people on edge as scientists said there was no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors was a harbinger of an impending disaster.
The unnerving activity began with a strong magnitude-6.7 quake on March 16 that caused more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialized and there was little physical damage from the shaking.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo attributed the five deaths to heart attacks or being crushed. In the city of Arica, the mayor reported some minor injuries and said some homes made of adobe were destroyed.
About 300 inmates escaped from a women's prison in the city of Iquique, and officials said Chile's military was sending a planeload of special forces to guard against looting.
The quake shook modern buildings in nearby Peru and in Bolivia's high altitude capital of La Paz.
"We have asked citizens to evacuate the entire coast ... there is no serious damage to houses ... there have been no people hurt," said home office minister Mahmud Aleuy, Reuters reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded the magnitude. It said the quake struck 61 miles northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., hitting a region that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks.
The quake was so strong that the shaking experienced in Bolivia's capital about 290 miles away was the equivalent of a 4.5-magnitude tremor, authorities there said.
At least eight strong aftershocks followed in the first few hours, including a 6.2 tremor. More aftershocks and even a larger quake could not be ruled out, said seismologist Mario Pardo at the University of Chile.
Some roads in northern Chile were blocked by landslides, causing traffic jams among people leaving the coast.
Chile's national emergency office said there were initial reports of landslides partially blocking some roads and highways, and it called for the "preventive evacuation" of the country's northern coastline, Reuters reported.
The tsunami warning center cancelled tsunami watches for areas other than northern Chile and southern Peru. The only U.S. impact might be higher waves Wednesday for Hawaii's swimmers and surfers, it said. A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, where authorities were monitoring the situation, Reuters reported.
An official at Peru's civil defense office said evacuations were underway on that country's coast. The official, who did not give her name, said there were no immediate reports of damage. Police officer Alejandro Rosado in a Tacna, a Peruvian town near the coast, said no damage or injuries had been reported there.
Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded also happened in Chile — a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.
Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken Chile's far-northern coast in the past two weeks, keeping people on edge as scientists said there was no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors was a harbinger of an impending disaster.
The unnerving activity began with a strong magnitude-6.7 quake on March 16 that caused more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialized and there was little physical damage from the shaking.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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