സാന്റിയാഗോ: ചിലിയില് ശക്തമായ ഭൂകമ്പത്തെ തുടര്ന്ന്
തീരപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലും പെറുവിലും സുനാമി മുന്നറിയിപ്പു നല്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.
പ്രാദേശിക സമയം വൈകിട്ട് 7.54 നാണ് ഭൂചലനം ഉണ്ടായത്. റിക്ടര് സ്കെയില് 6
നു മുകളില് തീവ്രത രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയ രണ്ടു തുടര് ചലനങ്ങളുണ്ടായതായും യുഎസ്
ജിയോളജിക്കല് സര്വേ അറിയിച്ചു.
Great earthquake rocks Chile, tsunami alert raised
Santiago, Sep 17 (IANS) A 8.3 magnitude earthquake
struck off the coast of Chile on Wednesday evening, rocking buildings in
the capital and sending people scurrying on to the streets. A tsunami
alert was also issued, authorities said.
The epicentre was out at sea, 246 km from Santiago, Xinhua reported, citing the United States Geological Service.
Early reports indicate the earthquake occurred shortly at 7.55 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 km.
A tsunami alert was immediately issued by the Chilean interior ministry and by the US' Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Chile and Peru are on high alert, although the alert was spread across a wide area reaching as far as Hawaii.
The
magnitude of the earthquake was first reported at 7.2 by the University
of Chile's Seismological Service and later revised up to 7.7.
The USGS first reported the magnitude of the quake at 7.9 and revised it up to 8.3.
There
have been no reports of damage or injuries in the minutes following the
earthquake but Chile has dispatched its Minister of the Interior Jorge
Burgos to the zone to investigate.
Weather channels urged people
located along the coast to move inland in preparation for the tsunami.
Initial estimates from them said that a possible tsunami would make
landfall at around 9.37 p.m local time.
The earthquake was felt
particularly strongly in the towns of Valparaiso and Coquimbo and lasted
for approximately one minute, according to eyewitness statements in
local press.
Santiago Airport was immediately evacuated.
Videos
posted on social media networks show the earthquake was felt as far as
the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires, about 1,368 km to the east of
Chile.