A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile last
night, killing five people and forcing one million to flee their homes.
The quake shook buildings in the capital city of Santiago,
about 280 km (175 miles) to the south, and flooded some coastal areas under a
tsunami warning just before midnight UK time.
A 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in
Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago, according to
media reports.
President Michelle Bachelet said she planned to travel to
the areas worst affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the country since
2010.
She said in a televised statement: "Once again we're
having to deal with another harsh blow from nature."
Television images showed panicked people gathered in streets
lined with damaged buildings, while big waves flooded roads in some cities
along the coast.
The quake also damaged homes, buildings and injured several
people and was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Frequent aftershocks continued to shake the country.
Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of South America,
Hawaii, California and French Polynesia, although waves are generally expected
to be small.
Source: Mirror...More...
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