Chile: Tsunami alert after 7.5 magnitude quake strikes southern part

The tremor struck at a depth of 10 km and was felt in surrounding localities. Read further on Dynamite News

Santiago: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the southern maritime zone of Chile on Friday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami alert for the Magallanes region.

Quake In The Morning

The National Seismological Center of the University of Chile said the quake occurred at 8:58 a.m. local time (1258 GMT), with its epicenter located 218 km south of Puerto Williams -- the country's southernmost city, nearly 3,500 km from the capital city of Santiago.

The tremor struck at a depth of 10 km and was felt in surrounding localities, officials said.

Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) said damage assessments are underway, while the Chilean Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) issued a tsunami alert, urging coastal residents in Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic Territory to evacuate to safe zones and avoid beaches.

Chile, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the world's most seismically active countries.

About Chile

Chile is the country situated in South America. It extends approximately 2,700 miles (4,300 km) from its boundary with Peru.

Chile is bounded on the north by Peru and Bolivia, on its long eastern border by Argentina, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

The country has sovereignty over Easter Island, the Juan Fernández Archipelago, and the volcanic islets of Sala y Gómez, San Félix, and San Ambrosio, all of which are located in the South Pacific. Chile also claims a 200-mile offshore limit. The capital is Santiago.

Chile’s relief is for the most part mountainous, with the Andes range dominating the landscape. The country has a wide variety of climates, from the coastal desert beginning in the tropical north to the cold subantarctic southern tip.

Chile is also a land of extreme natural events: volcanic eruptions, violent earthquakes, and tsunamis originating along major faults of the ocean floor periodically beset the country.

There are winter storms and flash floods alternate with severe summer droughts in the country.

Climate

The extension of Chile across some 38 degrees of latitude encompasses nearly all climates, with the exception of the humid tropics. The Pacific Ocean, the cold Peru (Humboldt) Current, the South Pacific anticyclone winds, and the Andes Mountains constitute the major climatic controls.