Magnitude 8.2 Earthquake Strikes Off Chilean Coast
Published at
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(IQUIQUE, Chile) — A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck just off the coast of western Chile on Tuesday evening, the United States Geological Survey reports.
The quake hit 49 miles northwest of the port city of Iquique. The earthquake was centered about 6.2 miles underground. The USGS initially measured the tremor as a magnitude 8.0 before moving it to an 8.2.
Five deaths have been reported thus far: four men and one woman. All died from either cardiac arrest or falling debris.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a six-foot tsunami hit Pisagua, Chile, at 8:04 p.m. ET. There was some damage reported on roads linking northern towns between Iquique and Alto Auspicio, but it was not immediately clear how much.
The PTWC also issued a tsunami warning for Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama. A tsunami watch was put in effect for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. All warnings and watches were called off on Tuesday night, with the exception of tsunami warnings for Chile and Peru.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio