7.4 The magnitude earthquake attacks outside the coast of Chile and Argentina, tsunami warning issued

On Friday an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude hit the southern coast of Chile and Argentina, said the geological service of the United States. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The Chilean authorities issued an evacuation alert for the entire coastal section of the Magellan Strait, at the southern end of the country.

A Tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas within 185 miles of the epicenter, with the Tsunami Warning Center of the United States Meteorological Service that said that a series of dangerous waves was possible.

Waves were expected that measure 1 to 3 meters (more than 3 to 9 feet) in Chile and up to 1 meter high in Antarctica.

“We ask for the evacuation of the coast throughout the Magallanes region,” published the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, on social networks after an emergency service alert, which also ordered evacuations in the nearby Antarctic areas.

Boric said “all resources are available” to respond. “At this time, our duty is to be prepared and pay attention to the authorities,” he wrote.

The photos and social media videos showed people easy evacuating how sirens in the background, Reuters reported.

In Punta Arenas, located in the Chilean Patagonia and in the Magellan Strait, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the streets quickly filled with residents looking for shelters, according to the images broadcast on local television.

The evacuation continued calmly and without panic. “We received the alert and we had to evacuate at work, but people are calm and well prepared,” Roberto Ramírez told the 24 -hour channel.

The USGS said the earthquake epicenter was under the ocean at 219 kilometers (173 miles) south of the Argentine city of Ushuaia, in Drake’s passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica.

In Ushuaia, considered the southernmost city in the world, local authorities suspended all kinds of water and navigation activities on the Beagle channel for at least three hours. No damage was reported.

“The earthquake was mainly felt in the city of Ushuaia and, to a lesser extent, in the cities of the entire province,” the local government said. “Given this type of event, it is important to keep calm.”

The Antarctic Institute of Chile told Reuters that the bases were being evacuated. Approximately 2,000 people have been evacuated, according to local authorities.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

In:
• Chili
• Tsunami
• Earthquakes
• Argentina