Tsunami warnings after massive 8.8 earthquake strikes Chile

A massive earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale has struck the Chilean coast near the city of Concepcion.
A tsunami warning was issued early this morning for Chile and Peru and a tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica was also issued.
Radio reports said at least 17 people had been killed, with more deaths likely.

Damage: Two people stand next to the rubble of a collapsed convenience store in Santiago

Damage: Early reports say six people have been killed, with the death toll expected to rise
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet confirmed six people were dead and appealed for Chileans to remain calm.

She said: 'We have had a huge earthquake. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately.'
Cut off: An explosion at an electricity sub station in the Chilean capital. Power lines and internet connection has been disrupted after the quake
She added: 'Without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths.'

Witnesses reported collapsed buildings and tremors lasting up to 90 seconds after the quake, which struck at around 6.30am GMT.
The quake is reported to have hit at a depth of 36.9 miles near Concepcion, Chile's second city with around 670,000 people, and caused blackouts in parts of the capital Santiago - 197 miles away.
An aftershock measuring 6.9 also struck 130 miles south west of Concepcion, at a depth of 24 miles.
And a third tremor, measuring 5.5, hit 28 miles off the coast of Valparaiso, on the Chilean coast west of Santiago.
'Never in my life have I experienced a quake like this, it's like the end of the world,' one man told local television from the city of Temuco, where the quake damaged buildings and forced staff to evacuate the regional hospital.

A statement from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said: 'Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated.

'It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts.'

Witnesses reported people streaming on to the streets of Santiago, hugging each other and crying.
A national emergency official told local radio the government was evaluating damage in and around Concepcion.

Telephone and internet connections appear to have been disrupted, which is preventing authorities finding out the extent of the damage.
Massive: The earthquake measuring 8.8 struck north east of Concepcion, Chile, this morning and sparked tsunami warnings up South America
Earthquakes of magnitude 8 or over are classified as 'great' earthquakes which can cause tremendous damage.
The quake which devastated Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on January 12 was measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale.

In 1960, Chile was hit by the world's biggest earthquake since records dating back to 1900.
The 9.5 magnitude quake devastated the southern city of Valdivia, killing 1,655 people and sending a tsunami which battered Easter Island 2,300 miles off Chile's Pacific coast and continued as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

Source:dailymail.co.uk/