A strong 8.2-magnitude earthquake has struck off the northwestern coast
of Chile, killing at least two people and setting off a small tsunami
that prompted evacuations along the country's Pacific coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake was centered about 100 kilometers northwest of Iquique Tuesday evening. It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 6.2-magnitude.
Chilean authorities said waves measuring about two meters were striking cities along the coast. Officials quickly ordered evacuations, warning that larger waves are expected later.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake was centered about 100 kilometers northwest of Iquique Tuesday evening. It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 6.2-magnitude.
Chilean authorities said waves measuring about two meters were striking cities along the coast. Officials quickly ordered evacuations, warning that larger waves are expected later.
Iquique's governor, Gonzalo Prieto, told a local radio station that two people are confirmed dead and at least three are seriously injured.
- There have been no reports of widespread damage. But Chile's emergency office said the earthquake has caused landslides that are partially blocking some roads and highways.
A tsunami alert has been issued for the entire Pacific coast of Central and South America.
- U.S. officials say they have found no imminent threat of a tsunami along the coasts of Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington state after the earthquake near Chile, but the danger is still under evaluation.
- Chile is one of the world's most earthquake prone countries. In 2010, a 8.8-magnitude quake rocked central Chile, killing over 500 people and destroying 220,000 homes.
The region hit by Tuesday's quake had also experienced several smaller temblors in recent days, including a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday.
[voanews.com]
2/4/14
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- M 8.0 - OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE .... 93 km NW of Iquique, Chile ....local time: 19:46....
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- M8.2 - 95km NW of Iquique, Chile
Event Time
- 2014-04-01 23:46:46 UTC
- 2014-04-01 18:46:46 UTC-05:00 at epicenter
- 2014-04-02 02:46:46 UTC+03:00 system time
Location
19.642°S 70.817°W depth=20.1km (12.5mi)Nearby Cities
- 95km (59mi) NW of Iquique, Chile
- 139km (86mi) SSW of Arica, Chile
- 190km (118mi) SSW of Tacna, Peru
- 228km (142mi) SSE of Ilo, Peru
- 447km (278mi) SW of La Paz, Bolivia
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Une alerte au tsunami a été lancée au Chili, au Pérou et en Equateur après le séisme de magnitude 8,2 qui a frappé mardi soir le nord du Chili, entraînant l'évacuation de plusieurs régions de la côte pacifique, ont indiqué les autorités des trois pays.....
ReplyDeleteLe Service national chilien des situations d'urgence a ordonné l'évacuation des côtes du nord du pays, tandis que le gouvernement équatorien a émis une alerte en raison du risque de tsunami. Le président équatorien Rafael Correa a demandé sur son compte son compte Twitter à "être attentifs à nos côtes et nous préparer". Au Pérou, la zone côtière sud a été également mise en état d'alerte, tandis qu'à Lima les routes tout au long de la côte ont été fermées, a annoncé la maire de la capitale Susana Villaran. "C'est une alerte pour que toutes les mesures de précaution soient prises par la population", avait indiqué auparavant le commandant de la Marine de Guerre du Pérou, Colbert Ruiz, après le séisme de magnitude 8,2 qui a frappé mardi soir le nord du Chili et entraîné l'évacuation des côtes du nord du pays. Selon le Centre d'alerte des tsunamis pour le Pacifique, basé à Hawaï, le séisme a engendré des vagues de 2,11 mètres. Le fort séisme a été ressenti dans les régions de Tacna, à la frontière du Chili, ainsi qu'à Arequipa et Moquegua, au sud du Pérou, selon l'Institut Géophysique du Pérou. Le séisme s'est produit à 20H46 locales (01H46 en Belgique), à environ 89 km sud-ouest de Cuya, à une profondeur de 46,4 km, selon le Centre sismologique national de l'Université du Chili, qui avait fait état dans un premier temps d'une magnitude de 7,8 avant de la réviser à la hausse à 8,2. Les services nationaux d'urgence du Chili (Onemi) ont demandé à la population d'évacuer préventivement les côtes de tout le pays, où pour l'instant aucune victime ni dégât n'ont été rapportés. (Belga)
Chile declares disaster in quake-hit regions...
ReplyDeleteChile has declared three northern regions hit by a 8.2 magnitude earthquake to be disaster areas.
At least five people are known to have died and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.
The quake struck at 20:46 local time (23:46 GMT) about 86km (52 miles) north-west of the mining area of Iquique, the US Geological Survey said.
Waves of up to 2.1m (6ft) have hit some areas and there have been power cuts, fires and landslides.
The government said the declaration of a disaster in the Arica, Parinacota and Tarapaca regions was aimed at "avoiding instances of looting and disorder".
President Michelle Bachelet said the country had "faced the emergency well" and called on those in affected regions "to keep calm and follow instructions from the authorities".
She is due to visit the affected areas later.
Chilean TV broadcast pictures of traffic jams as people tried to leave the affected areas.
Officials said the dead included people who were crushed by collapsing walls or died of heart attacks........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26847827
2/4/14
After Chile quake, thousands return home; damage believed limited...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - Thousands of people who evacuated Chile's low-lying coastal areas returned home on Wednesday morning after authorities called off a tsunami alarm as damage from a massive overnight earthquake seemed mostly limited.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.2, struck off the coast of northern Chile near the copper exporting port of Iquique on Tuesday evening, killing six and triggering a tsunami that pounded the shore with 2-meter (7-foot) waves.
Mines in Chile, the world's No. 1 copper producer, mostly said they were functioning normally, and oil refineries said they were normalizing operations.
The country's president, Michelle Bachelet, declared parts of Chile's north a disaster zone, promising troops and police reinforcements to maintain order while damage was repaired after landslides blocked roads.................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/02/us-chile-earthquake-idUSBREA3101G20140402?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
2/4/14