7.6 aftershock rattles Chile
A powerful 7.6-magnitude aftershock hit Chile's far-northern coast late Wednesday night, shaking the same area where a magnitude-8.2 earthquake hit just a day before causing some damage and six deaths.- More than 170,000 people were killed in Aceh province on western Sumatra island in 2004 when it was hit by a huge quake-triggered tsunami, which also left thousands dead in other countries around the Indian Ocean. In New Zealand and Australia,
- Authorities in 19 provinces of Indonesia were alerted earlier as a precaution and people were urged to stay away from beaches. Indonesia, which is frequently hit by earthquakes and has scores of active volcanoes, is particular vulnerable to even
- "Until now there are no signs of even a small tsunami. We are monitoring closely," Frangky Ulus from the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System in Jayapura, Papua, told AFP.
- Indonesia also said it could be hit by a small tsunami from the quake off Chile, which killed at least six people and caused nearly a million to evacuate their homes along the coast. Waves of up to half a metre had been expected to hit the eastern
- More than 500 people died and USD 30 billion in damage was wrought in that quake.
- President Michelle Bachelet declared parts of northern Chile to be disaster zones and said soldiers will be dispatched to the areas to prevent looting and disorder from breaking out as they did after a deadly 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010.
- The government said that so far there have been 17 aftershocks and there will be more in coming days as some energy from the quake zone has yet to be released, according to Sergio Barrientos of the seismological service at the University of Chile.
- Some fires broke out, roads were damaged and power was knocked out in the northern city of Arica, although there was no widespread destruction from the latest mighty quake in one of the world's most seismically active countries, said the disaster
- People began trickling home after spending hours outside in the middle of the night although the Interior Ministry asked them to remain on alert, as sea levels will remain as much as a metre higher than usual.
- Similar warnings were issued in a ripple effect up the Pacific coast of South America and into Central America. But about 10 hours after the two-minute quake yesterday, the Chilean government lifted what remained of a nationwide tsunami alert.
- A powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake hit northern Chile's Pacific coast, killing at least six people as tsunami waves of more than two metres lashed the shore. The quake sent panicked residents pouring into the streets, with more than 900,000 people
- The agency warned people to leave the coast but said it did not expect damage from the waves. "Get out of the water and leave the coast immediately," it said. But it added: "Though there may be slight sea-level change in coastal regions, no tsunami
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- The Japan Meteorological Agency said waves of 20 centimetres (eight inches) were monitored in Kuji, Iwate prefecture, at 6:52 am. Minor tsunamis were also monitored in several other areas of northern Japan, the agency said, adding that higher waves
- Small tsunami waves hit northern Japan early Thursday following a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake thousands of kilometres away across the Pacific Ocean in Chile, officials said.
- Chile is one of the world's most seismic countries and is particularly prone to tsunamis, because of the way the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera ever higher.
- Authorities reported just six deaths from the 8.2-magnitude quake. It was possible others could have been killed in older structures made of adobe in remote communities that weren't immediately accessible, but it was still a very low toll for such a
- It was felt across the border in southern Peru, where people in the cities of Tacna and Arequipa reportedly fled buildings in fear.
- The aftershock was centre 14 miles (23 kilometres) south of Iquique. The USGS said the aftershock had a depth of 12 miles (20 kilometres).
- The aftershock caused buildings to shake and people to run out into the streets in the port of Iquique, which was one of the cities that saw some damage from Tuesday night's big quake. But there were no immediate reports of new damage or injuries
- Chile's Emergency Office and navy issues a tsunami alert and ordered a precautionary evacuation of low-lying areas on the northern coast, meaning many people could be spending another sleepless night away from their homes.
A powerful 7.6-magnitude aftershock hit Chile's far-northern coast late Wednesday night, shaking the same area where a magnitude-8.2 earthquake hit just a day before causing some damage and six deaths.
7.6 aftershock rattles Chile
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