More than a million people were forced from their homes after a a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off Chile, slamming powerful waves into coastal towns and killing at least five people.
The government ordered the evacuation of coastal areas, anxious to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in 2010 when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami that killed hundreds.
“It’s been awful. We ran out of the house with our grandchildren and now we are on a hill hoping it will be over soon,” said Maria Angelica Leiva from the coastal town of Navidad.
“It is all very dark, and we just hope the sea hasn’t reached our house.”
Wednesday’s quake and heavy waves caused flooding in coastal towns, damaged buildings and knocked out power in the worst-hit areas of central Chile and shook buildings in the capital city of Santiago about 280km to the south.
President Michelle Bachelet said she planned to travel to the areas worst affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the world’s top copper producer since 2010 and this year’s largest quake globally in terms of magnitude.
“Once again we’re having to deal with another harsh blow from nature,” Bachelet said.
Operations were suspended at two big copper mines, and copper prices on the London Metal Exchange rose to two-month highs in early Asian trading on worries about supply disruptions.
The quake was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia, although waves were generally expected to be small.
On remote Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, islanders were evacuated to a church in the only town of Hanga Roa.
Early yesterday morning, Chile’s emergency office had cancelled the tsunami alert for the island and some parts of the coastal mainland, but kept an alert in place for a stretch of central Chile.
As far away as New Zealand, authorities warned of “unusually strong currents” and urged residents in eastern coastal areas to stay out of the water and off beaches.
Dozens of strong aftershocks continued to rattle central Chile, a largely agricultural region south of the mining belt.
“It’s going to be a long night,” said Ronny Perez in the inland city of Illapel, about 46km from the epicentre.
A 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago.
Most buildings in Illapel had stayed standing, residents said. Quake-prone Chile has strict building regulations that limit potential damage.
The brunt of the damage was borne by coastal areas where houses and fishing boats were smashed by waves.
The coastal town of Coquimbo was hit by waves of up to 4.5m after the earthquake, Chile’s navy said.
“We’re going through a really grave situation with the tsunami. We have residential neighbourhoods that have flooded.
Residents reported looting of evacuated houses in Los Vilos, another seaside town.
Chile is due to celebrate its national holiday today, but roads were cut off and public transport cancelled between Santiago and the north, local media reported.
The quake is the latest natural disaster to roil mining in the resource-rich South American country, which accounts for a third of global copper output.
Northern Chile was hit by severe floods earlier this year, while a volcanic eruption caused problems for residents in the south.
Million evacuated after Chile quake
The government ordered the evacuation of coastal areas, anxious to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in 2010 when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami that killed hundreds.
“It’s been awful. We ran out of the house with our grandchildren and now we are on a hill hoping it will be over soon,” said Maria Angelica Leiva from the coastal town of Navidad.
“It is all very dark, and we just hope the sea hasn’t reached our house.”
Wednesday’s quake and heavy waves caused flooding in coastal towns, damaged buildings and knocked out power in the worst-hit areas of central Chile and shook buildings in the capital city of Santiago about 280km to the south.
President Michelle Bachelet said she planned to travel to the areas worst affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the world’s top copper producer since 2010 and this year’s largest quake globally in terms of magnitude.
“Once again we’re having to deal with another harsh blow from nature,” Bachelet said.
Operations were suspended at two big copper mines, and copper prices on the London Metal Exchange rose to two-month highs in early Asian trading on worries about supply disruptions.
The quake was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia, although waves were generally expected to be small.
On remote Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, islanders were evacuated to a church in the only town of Hanga Roa.
Early yesterday morning, Chile’s emergency office had cancelled the tsunami alert for the island and some parts of the coastal mainland, but kept an alert in place for a stretch of central Chile.
As far away as New Zealand, authorities warned of “unusually strong currents” and urged residents in eastern coastal areas to stay out of the water and off beaches.
Dozens of strong aftershocks continued to rattle central Chile, a largely agricultural region south of the mining belt.
“It’s going to be a long night,” said Ronny Perez in the inland city of Illapel, about 46km from the epicentre.
A 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago.
Most buildings in Illapel had stayed standing, residents said. Quake-prone Chile has strict building regulations that limit potential damage.
The brunt of the damage was borne by coastal areas where houses and fishing boats were smashed by waves.
The coastal town of Coquimbo was hit by waves of up to 4.5m after the earthquake, Chile’s navy said.
“We’re going through a really grave situation with the tsunami. We have residential neighbourhoods that have flooded.
Residents reported looting of evacuated houses in Los Vilos, another seaside town.
Chile is due to celebrate its national holiday today, but roads were cut off and public transport cancelled between Santiago and the north, local media reported.
The quake is the latest natural disaster to roil mining in the resource-rich South American country, which accounts for a third of global copper output.
Northern Chile was hit by severe floods earlier this year, while a volcanic eruption caused problems for residents in the south.
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