Chile Earthquake Kills Five People, Triggers Tsunami

An 8.3-magnitude earthquake, with a depth of 10 km, struck the northern coast of Chile Wednesday evening, causing at least five deaths, 20 injuries and one million evacuees as of Thursday morning, The Guardian report states. The epicenter of said earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey, is in Illapel, 46 km west or a 3-hour drive from Chilean's capital.

The earthquake occurred around 7:54 p.m., local time, followed by numerous aftershocks with one reaching magnitude 7.0 and three with a magnitude of above 6.0. The earthquake also caused flooding in a number of shore towns. This is brought about by small tsunami waves.

According to reports from The New York times, the tremor was strong enough that residents from neighboring places, including Argentina and Buenos Aires, reported feeling it. The report also states that the authorities had already issued a tsunami alert for the entire Pacific coast in Chile. There have also been reports that 4.5-meter high waves have already been recorded in Conquimbo while 2-meter high waves were recorded in the region of Tongoy.

Jocelyn Tordecilla Jorquera, residing in an area near the epicenter, said that the earthquake was very strong and lasted longer than any earthquake, even longer than the 2010 earthquake.

Chile president Michelle Bachelet immediately addressed the nation on Wednesday evening. She urged the people, including those who have been evacuated from coastal areas to remain on high grounds until further instructions from authorities. She also said that Conquimbo and Tongoy are already declared as catastrophe zones. Classes and work had already been canceled in most areas of the country.

Chile is considered to be one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries due to its location. It is just off the coast is the Nazca tectonic plate, which plummets beneath the South American plate, pushing the Andes cordillera to a higher altitude. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake which occurred in south-central in 2010 is said to have shortened the Earth's day by a fraction of a second. Furthermore, records show that the strongest earthquake that was ever recorded on Earth took place in Chile in 1960. It had a magnitude-9.5 tremor and claimed more than 5,000 lives.