Strong Earthquake Hits Northern Chile

A powerful earthquake with an epicenter off the northern coast of Chile was registered with a magnitude of 8.2, which lead to six deaths. The quake prompted officials from Chile to evacuate the northern coast of the country due to fears of a tsunami.

The warning of a tsunami was issued for all of the South America coastline on the Pacific Coast though it was later lowered to a threat of a tsunami and eventually lifted entirely.

Rodrigo Penailillo the interior minister said six people were killed attributing the deaths to people being crushed and suffering heart attacks.

President Michelle Bachelet said early Wednesday that she had declared a state of catastrophe in the nation’s northern section in the regions of Tarapaca, Parinacota and Arica.

The military was traveling to those areas in order to avoid looting.

A wave of approximately six feet came ashore in Iquique a port city according to a deputy interior minister. The city was located 59 miles from the epicenter of the quake.

Chile sent armed forces to the city as well after more than 300 prison inmates were able to flee a prison for women during the chaos that followed the quake.

In the small town of Huara, located between Arica and Iquique, Mayor Carlos Silva said people in that area were prepared for an earthquake since there had been many small shakes. He said they had utilized a very efficient plan for evacuation.

Images on Chilean television were of people walking quickly to evacuate Antofagasta a coastal city. Viewers were advised by newscasters to buy candles and use social media in a responsible way as well as not to use any elevators when evacuating.

Officials were also evacuating people living on Easter Island off the coast, said the National Police of Chile.

Callers into a program on the radio said the earthquake had lasted a long time and had been very strong, causing great chaos in city streets with large sections losing electricity. Some roads in the area had been damaged, said the radio station.

The mayor of Arica in the north said he did not have reports of damage, although he was aware of some homes damaged by the shaking.

This quake followed hundreds of smaller temblors that hit the same area the past couple of weeks, which increased the fears a larger one would hit.

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.