Chile: Tsunami following 8.2 magnitude earthquake • At least 5 dead

April 2, 2014   

At least five people were killed in a magnitude 8.2 earthquake that struck off the coast of the northern Chilean city of Iquique on Tuesday night. The United States Geological Survey issued a tsunami warning for all Pacific coast countries, including Ecuador and Peru, but this was canceled this morning. A tsunami wave hit Chile's Pacific coast. The affected areas were declared disaster areas. According to the report, the epicenter of the earthquake was about ten kilometers below the ocean floor, and about 86 kilometers from the city of Iquique. Chilean emergency authorities asked residents living near the coast to stay as far away from the area as possible. After the strong earthquake, four more aftershocks with a magnitude of 5.0 were felt. Chilean emergency authorities announced that they had received reports of mudslides blocking highways in the area affected by the tsunami.