90 dead in Chile’s 8.8 quake, Tsunami warning widened

USGS map of affected areas in 8.8 earthquake in Chile.

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SANTIAGO, Chile – (Update) At least 90 are dead, major building have been toppled and a Tsunami generated by the Chile earthquake of magnitude 8.8  is expected to reach B.C. by 3 p.m.

The gargantuan quake rocked Chile’s major cities and was felt as far away as Brazil. It was centred some 200 miles south-west of the capital Santiago but caused major damage with buildings downed, roads cracked and bridges toppled.

An earthquake of this size is rare and is capable of extreme devastation.

A Tsunami warning was issued following the quake at 10:34 p.m. PST.

The Tsunami warning was issued for the west coast of Chile, Peru and Ecuador. An advisory was issued for most areas of the western North American coastline and the wave is expected to reach B.C. at around 3 p.m. today. Waves generated by the earthquake have been monitored at several locations in the proximity of the quake.

The USGS reported the quake was 100 km (60 miles) NNW of Chillan, 105 km (65 miles) WSW of Talca, 115 km (70 miles) NNE of Concepcion, and 325 km (200 miles) SW of SANTIAGO.

It was approximately 21 miles below the surface of the Ocean.

Chile holds the record for a 9.5 earthquake that caused massive damage and killed over 1,500 people.

Chile is prepared for earthquakes but the size of the quake and the shaking it can cause could have devastating impact. Chile reported a death toll of around 90 and said it expected fatalities to rise.

Numerous fires were still burning and power was lost. Thousands roamed the streets following the earthquake and a second jolt that arrived an hour later.

In some areas, Tsunamis could already have caused damage, Tsunami warning centres reported.

“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.” The Pacific Tsunami Centre said.

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Posted by News Editor on Feb 27 2010. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry