(Eagle News) — A very strong 8.3 magnitude quake hit Chile’s coast on Wednesday night, Sept. 16 (Thursday morning, Sept. 17, Manila time), according to the U.S. Geological Survey which measured the quake’s depth at 25 kilometers.
The quake’s epicenter was about 46 kilometers west of Illapel, Chile, USGS said.
Evacuations were immediately ordered after the quake struck at 10:54 p.m Wednesday in Chile (6:54 a.m. Thursday Manila time) as Chile’s national emergency agency issued a tsumami alert.
Several strong aftershocks were recorded a few minutes later.
BBC said that “tsunami waves reaching more than three metres above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Chile,” quoting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
It said tsunami alerts were also issued for Peru and Hawaii.
A tide gauge at Coquimbo, north of where the earthquake struck in Chile, showed that two hours after the tremor large waves – up to 4m high – are continuing to hit the shore.
A 15.1 foot tsunami was observed in that city of Coquimbo, Chile after the powerful earthquake, according to the Public Tsunami Information Statement Number 3 of the NWS National Tsunami Warning Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States.
Flooding was already reported there to be ongoing (as of 9:20 Manila time) as well as in another city, Avenida Borgono, west of Santiago City.
People near the coastlines have started to run to higher ground, while those in the cities evacuated from buildings and gathered on the streets in Chile.
Radio New Zealand also reported that the Civil Defense had already issued the tsunami warning for the East Cape, Chatham Islands, Coromandel and Banks Peninsula regions a short time ago, warning residents in those areas to stay out of the water and keep away from beaches.
“Civil Defence said any tsunami activity may reach the East Cape just after midnight tonight. It has warned that tsunami activity could continue for several hours and the threat should be regarded seriously until the warning was cancelled.”
It also reported that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii had said that “waves of up to a meter could hit New Zealand, while waves of between one and three metres could hit French Polynesia.”
New Caledonia, Fiji, the Samoas, the Cook Islands, Tonga and other island nations are also being warned of 1m waves.
Smaller waves may hit Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
