Posted: 12 February 2011 0512 hrs
SANTIAGO - A powerful earthquake struck Friday off the coast of Chile, throwing a scare into residents nearly a year after a massive temblor and tsunami wreaked death and destruction in the same region.
There was no initial reports of casualties or damage, but media reports said the quake was felt in a wide area of central Chile, where some residents evacuated coastal areas as a precaution.
The US Geological Survey and Chile's National Emergency Office (ONEMI) said the quake occurred in the Pacific some 70 kilometres (45 kilometres) from the city of Concepcion.
The USGS initially reported a major 7.0 magnitude, and later revised that to 6.8, which can still cause devastation.
The quake struck at 2005 GMT near a region in central Chile that was heavily damaged by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on February 27, 2010.
Rodrigo Ubilla, an Interior ministry official, said there were no casualties or damage to buildings reported and praised the "exemplary" reaction of the population, saying the people showed "maturity" after last year's
catastrophe.
Last year's disaster led to more than 500 deaths and $30 billion dollars in damage, and led to an inquiry over the lack of a timely tsunami warning.
ONEMI director Vicente Nunez said "people reacted with concern," because the incident occurred near the anniversary date of the tsunami, and urged people to return to their homes.
President Sebastian Pinera visited the ONEMI headquarters late in the day to review the situation. Earlier this week, he said reconstruction from the devastation last year would extend until 2014, with many schools, roads and hospitals still needing repairs.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that "a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected," from this quake but that earthquakes of this size "sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts" within a 100 kilometers of the epicentre.
"Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action," it said.
A spokesman for Chile's emergency office said of the latest quake, at a depth of 14.8 kilometres, "does not have the characteristics to create a tsunami."
Chilean seismologists said it was not usual to see aftershocks from a quake as large as the one last year, even a year later.
The USGS said the location of the earthquake was 395 kilometres (245 miles) southwest of Santiago.
- AFP /ls
Showing posts with label Chile quake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chile quake. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
7.1 magnitude quake rocks Chile
Posted: 03 January 2011 0610 hrs
SANTIAGO: A strong earthquake shook coastal Chile Sunday, disrupting power and communications services without injuring anyone, authorities said, as tsunami fears led residents to seek higher ground.
The US Geological Survey said the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 2020 GMT 69 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Temuco, Chile, at a depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).
Chile's National Emergency Office said the quake was "medium intensity" and struck Biobio, Maule and O'Higgins, a region in south-central Chile that was devastated by a 8.8 magnitude quake and tsunami in February 2010.
The agency's director Vicente Nunez told reporters that, on the basis of initial reports, the quake "did not cause damage or victims," although there were power outages and interruptions in telephone service.
"It's common in these types of situations for telephone services to collapse and for there to be power outages," he said.
The earthquake set off panicky reactions, with people fleeing to higher ground in Puerto Saavedra and Tirua out of fear of tsunamis, according to Chilean television.
But the Chilean Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service discounted the threat of a tsunami, saying the epicenter was on land and not at sea.
An initial report by the USGS said the quake occurred offshore, but it later revised its findings. US authorities also ruled out the threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami.
"Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers (62 miles) of the earthquake epicenter," it said.
The National Emergency Office said Sunday's temblor was followed nearly two hours later by a moderate aftershock.
The earthquake was also felt in Argentina's Patagonia region, near the border with Chile, especially in San Martin de los Andes, where dozens of people ran out of the customs building fearing it might collapse, the Bariloche News Agency said.
No injuries or damage from the quake were reported in Argentina.
Chile lies on the Pacific rim of fire and is prone to violent earthquakes. Last February's massive earthquake unleashed a tsunami that swept away entire villages.
The disaster left around 520 people dead, and caused an estimated 30 billion dollars in damage.
- AFP/fa/ac
SANTIAGO: A strong earthquake shook coastal Chile Sunday, disrupting power and communications services without injuring anyone, authorities said, as tsunami fears led residents to seek higher ground.
The US Geological Survey said the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 2020 GMT 69 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Temuco, Chile, at a depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).
Chile's National Emergency Office said the quake was "medium intensity" and struck Biobio, Maule and O'Higgins, a region in south-central Chile that was devastated by a 8.8 magnitude quake and tsunami in February 2010.
The agency's director Vicente Nunez told reporters that, on the basis of initial reports, the quake "did not cause damage or victims," although there were power outages and interruptions in telephone service.
"It's common in these types of situations for telephone services to collapse and for there to be power outages," he said.
The earthquake set off panicky reactions, with people fleeing to higher ground in Puerto Saavedra and Tirua out of fear of tsunamis, according to Chilean television.
But the Chilean Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service discounted the threat of a tsunami, saying the epicenter was on land and not at sea.
An initial report by the USGS said the quake occurred offshore, but it later revised its findings. US authorities also ruled out the threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami.
"Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers (62 miles) of the earthquake epicenter," it said.
The National Emergency Office said Sunday's temblor was followed nearly two hours later by a moderate aftershock.
The earthquake was also felt in Argentina's Patagonia region, near the border with Chile, especially in San Martin de los Andes, where dozens of people ran out of the customs building fearing it might collapse, the Bariloche News Agency said.
No injuries or damage from the quake were reported in Argentina.
Chile lies on the Pacific rim of fire and is prone to violent earthquakes. Last February's massive earthquake unleashed a tsunami that swept away entire villages.
The disaster left around 520 people dead, and caused an estimated 30 billion dollars in damage.
- AFP/fa/ac
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