An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 has shaken on Friday morning at, at the southern end of Chile. The National Seismological Center of the University of Chile has specified that the earthquake has been recorded at 08.58 hours (Continental Chile) with an epicenter at 218 kilometers south of the town of Puerto Williams, located about 2,400 to the south of Santiago de Chile, the capital. The Interior Minister of the Gabriel Boric Government, Álvaro Elizalde, who headed the Disaster Risk Management Committee (Cogrid), said the area must be maintained in a state of caution and that people have to remain away from the beaches and the coastal sectors for possible tsamotes. According to the authorities, before the eventual phenomenon, waves of some “90 centimeters” could be recorded.
The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) requested at first the evacuation towards high areas due to the risk of Tsunami, which was obeyed by the population in an orderly manner. But then the threat condition changed, of “alert” to “caution”, so evacuations have been suspended. Some activities, such as fishing, however, are still detained.
Senapre requested that the prohibition of entry to the beaches “by threat of tsunami” be maintained. The authorities detailed that the eventual phenomenon could generate waves of “90 centimeters.”
Shortly before noon, the National Director of Senapred, Alicia Cebrián, explained that the cancellation of preventive evacuation is being informed to the local population through telephone messaging, La. He informed that there will be a monitoring of the situation of the seas, according to the data that the hydrographic and oceanographic service of the Navy is delivering time by time [SHOA]. Cebrián did not rule out that during the course of this Friday and until the early hours of Saturday, an alarm state for some area or commune of the region can be established. In this case, the SAE messaging would be activated again the preventive evacuation.
The earthquake has not felt in the capital of Chile, Santiago, where he lives about half of the country’s population. In Punta Arenas, the capital of the Magallanes region, where about 150,000 people reside, the earthquake has barely been noticeable with a magnitude of 3. In part it is explained by the distance between both places: in a complex geography area, in the southern end of the world, Puerto Williams – of some 2,800 inhabitants – is about 600 kilometers south of Punta Arenas. The telluric movement, however, has felt in the Argentine city of, located about 60 kilometers from Puerto Williams. In Ushuaia, the population has also evacuated preventively.
The president, originally from the Magallanes region, announced through his X (previously Twitter) account that the regional and national cogrid had activated, and that all resources were being activated to face the emergency. The Head of State suspended his activities on Friday to monitor the emergency.
We call to evacuate coastal edge in every region of Magallanes. At the moment our duty is to prevent and pay attention to authorities. Regional and national cogrid are starting. All state resources are available.
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric)
The deputy director of Senapred, Miguel Ortiz, indicated that according to the preliminary information they have received from the region, he has not reported or damage to critical infrastructure or injured people, but there were 11 evacuees of the Antarctic Chilean territory.
The Chilean media reported images of the inhabitants who began uploading to safer sectors, but who have returned to their homes before the new indications of the authorities.
In a testimony delivered to the channel Mega, Catherine Rain, who lives in Puerto Williams, said the earthquake felt very strong, that “it was long and intense.” He added: “It was horrible.”
Deputy Javiera Morales, from the Frente Amplio, who is from the area, said that at the time of the earthquake she was in the region. “I had the earthquake in the middle of the Strait [de Magallanes]”, Which described that it is” very quiet. “And asked people to follow” all the instructions of the authorities.
The government spokeswoman (s), Aisén Etcheverry, was also in the area and lived the “as a citizen” earthquake. He said that the evacuation in Punta Arenas was ordered and that it was seen that “people have responded in a good way to the SAE alert.” “It is important to stay attentive to new notifications and to follow the instructions of the authorities at this time ahead. And also do it with the peace of mind that you can return to normal activities without losing this alert,” he said.
Minister Etcheverry by earthquake in Magallanes: “It is important to stay attentive to notifications, but also do it with the peace of mind that you can return to normal activities. We call to be attentive and attentive to the instructions of the authorities.”
– Chilean government spoke
