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Earthquake in Chile rocks capital Santiago, Pacific tsunami alert issued Tsunami warnings across Pacific after magnitude 8.3 earthquake hits Chile
(about 4 hours later)
Coastlines on both sides of the Pacific are braced for tsunamis after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck just off the coast of Chile, sending powerful waves flooding into its coastal cities.
Chile’s ministry of the interior and public security said five people had been killed and 1 million evacuated from their homes. A further 20 were injured, but phone networks remain down in parts of the country so the extent of damage and injury is likely to be under-reported.
The first tsunami hit the coastal Chilean city of Tongoy about 8.20pm local time, a little more than 25 minutes after the earthquake. Pictures appear to show the city of Concón, popular with tourists, being deluged by waves.
Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet spoke on national TV, saying Tongoy and Coquimbo had been extensively flooded and damaged. She has declared a catastrophe zone in those areas and mobilised the military to help civilians and prevent looting.
Related: Chile earthquake: massive 8.3 magnitude tremor strikes Santiago – live updatesRelated: Chile earthquake: massive 8.3 magnitude tremor strikes Santiago – live updates
A powerful earthquake has shaken Chile’s capital, causing buildings to sway, thousands to take refuge in the streets and sparking a tsunami watch alert across the Pacific ocean. “Once again we must confront a powerful blow from nature,” Bachelet told the nation.
The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 but quickly revised the reading to 8.3. Schools have been closed in several regions. The interior ministry’s national office of emergency has urged people not to return to their homes until they are told it is safe to do so.
US officials said the quake struck just offshore in the Pacific at 7:54 pm (6:54 pm EDT, 1154 GMT) and was centered about 141 miles (227km) north-west of Santiago. But the quake has also sparked fears tsunamis could surge across the Pacific Ocean, with countries as far away Japan, New Zealand, Russia and the US states of California and Hawaii issuing watches, alerts and warnings.
It said the quake was 4.8 miles (7.7km) below the surface. A watch was issued for the California coast: “A tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is expected. The first wave may not be the largest.”
#BREAKING: New video shows powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake in Chile - http://t.co/RFjwjwUiLp (Video: CNN Chile) pic.twitter.com/TloV8vzpxx A tsunami advisory for Hawaii said a “major tsunami” was not expected but it warned of sea level changes and strong currents.
Chile’s emergency office warned that a tsunami could hit the coast by 11pm. The New Zealand minister for civil defence, Nikki Kaye, urged east coast residents in the path of any potential tsunami to stay out of the the ocean, out of boats and off beaches.
The government has urged residents to evacuate the coastline although there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says tsunami waves reaching more than three metres above the tide level are possible in Chile. Waves reaching one to three metres above the tide level are possible in French Polynesia. Waves reaching 0.3 to one metre above the tide level are possible for some coasts of New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Japan, New Caledonia, Samoa, Russia and other Pacific nations.
Chile’s state copper miner Codelco said it was evacuating its workers at its Ventanas division as a precaution after the quake. Waves could take up to 15 hours to reach New Zealand, and 21 hours to reachRussia.
Hazardous tsunami waves from the quake were possible along the coasts of Chile and Peru within the next several hours, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. The power of the initial earthquake was such that it could be felt across swaths of South America.
A tsunami watch was issued for Hawaii. In the Chilean capital, Santiago, more than 230km from the epicentre of the quake, buildings swayed and thousands fled their homes to take refuge in the streets.
The centre said if tsunami waves impact Hawaii, the estimated earliest arrival time would be 2:28 am. Hawaii Standard Time (1228 GMT) on Thursday. Car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires – more than 1,100km away on the Atlantic side of the South American continent.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said state officials are standing by, awaiting updates from the warning center. Public buildings, including the campus of the University of Buenos Aires,were evacuated. High-rises in the neighbourhoods of Belgrano andPalermo swayed so much that many ran out into the streets.Other Argentinian cities including Rosario and Mendoza reported mass evacuations.
On the Big Island, officials were bracing to be the first island affected, county spokesman Ilihia Gionson said. Officials were gathered Wednesday in the county’s emergency operations center in Hilo, he said. Related: Terremoto en #Chile: compartimos tus experiencias – share your earthquake experiences #temblor
“It’s too early to tell,” he said. “This early it’s best to just stay informed.” A magnitude 8.8 quake in central Chile in 2010 and ensuing tsunami killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.
The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management in New Zealand also put out a tsunami alert. That quake released so much energy it shortened the Earth’s day by a fraction of a second, by changing the planet’s rotation.
There is likely to only be a marine threat to the known hot-spot areas of NZ - Chatham Islands, East Cape, Coromandel, and Banks Peninsula. Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. Just off the coast, the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera to ever-higher altitudes.
The power of the earthquake was such that it could be felt across swathes of South America. The strongest earthquake recorded happened in Chile in 1960 when a magnitude 9.5 tremor killed more than 5,000 people.
Car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires 690 miles away on the Atlantic side of the South American continent.
Public buildings, including the buildings of the University of Buenos Aires,were evacuated. Tall buildings in the neighbourhoods of Belgrano andPalermo swayed so much that many ran out into the streets.Reports from other Argentinian cities, such as Rosario and Mendoza, alsoreported mass evacuations although no casualties have been reported.
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.
That quake released so much energy, it shortened the Earth’s day by a fraction of a second by changing the planet’s rotation.
Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries because just off the coast, the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera to ever-higher altitudes.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded on Earth happened in Chile a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.