A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake has struck off Chile’s northern coast, and officials ordered an evacuation of coastal areas before an expected tsunami. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the tremor, which also shook buildings in parts of nearby Peru and Bolivia.
Waves measuring almost 2 meters already were striking cities on the coast, and authorities said a tsunami was expected to come ashore later. Local TV images showed residents evacuating calmly. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an alert for Latin America’s entire Pacific coast. Chile’s Emergency Office said a large tsunami wave was expected to hit the island of Juan Fernandez out in the Pacific just before midnight local time.
Chile’s emergency service reported some road blocked by landslides caused by the quake, but said no injuries had been reported so far. An official at Peru’s civil defense office said evacuations were underway on that country’s coast. The official, who did not give her name, said there were no immediate reports of damage.
The quake left more than 500 dead and $30 billion in damage to infrastructure. The same coastal area has been the scene of numerous quakes in recent days.