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A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck in the Pacific off Chile's northern region on Tuesday, leading authorities to order an evacuation before an expected tsunami. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Chile's national emergency office said there were initial reports of landslides partially blocking some roads and highways, and it called for the "preventive evacuation" of the country's northern coastline, Reuters reported.
A tsunami was expected to reach nearby cities throughout the night, and local TV images showed residents evacuating calmly. Chile's Emergency Office said a large tsunami wave was expected to hit the island of Juan Fernandez just before midnight local time.
The quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said struck 61 miles northwest of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., shook buildings in parts of Bolivia and Peru. Waves measuring almost 6 1/2 feet already were striking cities on the northern coast.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert for all of Latin America's Pacific coast. U.S. officials said they've found no imminent threat of a tsunami along the coasts of Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington after a major earthquake near Chile, but the danger is still under evaluation.
This could get very ugly very fast. 8.2 (some reports are saying 8.3 and 8.6) is a HUGE quake.
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