A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale, hit the coast off northern Chile on Tuesday night, which resulted in a small tsunami forcing people to evacuate their homes along the entire Pacific coast. The epicenter of the quake is believed to be placed 61 miles northwest off the town of Iquique. However, the administration is expecting another tsunami to hit soon and so a tsunami alert was issued. The quake hit at 8:46 PM local time.
The quake was very powerful as it managed to shake buildings in the neighboring countries of Peru and Bolivia. According to recent reports, the death toll has risen to five. The area close to where the quake struck escaped major damage thanks to the landslides which blocked the roads. In the aftermath of the quake, chaos ensued which led to the escape of 300 occupants from a women’s jail in the town of Iquique. To handle the situation, the officials have sent special forces to shield against robbery.
The hospitals close to the epicenter of the quake were treating the injured people. The tsunami alert remained for some more time which meant that a lot of people residing near the coast were unable to sleep. The power was cut-off and the entire city of Arica was engulfed in darkness. People living in the areas nearby also felt the aftershocks which followed only a few hours after the massive earthquake.
Chile has a history of earthquakes as it is situated near the Nazca tectonic plate. Chile has also encountered the strongest ever earthquake recorded with a magnitude of 9.6 on the Richter scale in 1960 which led to 5,000 deaths. The situation is unlikely to change and the people of Chile are bound to face many more such earthquakes in the future.