A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile on Wednesday (local time), causing damages in the capital city of Santiago and generating a tsunami warning for Chile and Peru.
The mayor of Illapel, the nearest residential area to the epicenter, said on a radio broadcast that one person had been killed by a collapsing wall, and 15 others were reported injured. Some homes were damaged as well.
The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, has confirmed three people died when the earthquake struck on Wednesday night.
The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 but quickly revised the reading to 8.3. The quake struck 105 miles (169 km) north of Valparaiso at a depth of 15.5 miles (25 km), and was originally reported as magnitude 7.9, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was felt across the seaboard of South America.
Meanwhile, Chile’s government urged residents to evacuate the coastline as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned for hazardous tsunami waves along the coasts of Chile and Peru within the next several hours.
Peruvian authorities said waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) could hit the country’s southern shoreline at 8:30 p.m. local time (2130 ET) and urged people to avoid coastal areas.
The PTWC also issued an alert for tsunami waves of between 0.3 to 1 metres for Hawaii, Japan, Antarctica, and most of the South Pacific, including New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.
Source: Yahoo, BBC, The Guardian