7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Chile and Argentina, tsunami warning issued

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Chilean authorities issued an evacuation alert for the entire coastal section of the Strait of Magellan, in the far south of the country.

A tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas within 185 miles of the epicenter, with the U.S. National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying a series of hazardous waves was possible. 

Waves measuring 1 to 3 meters (over 3 to 9 feet) were expected in Chile, and up to 1 meter high in Antarctica.

“We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region,” Chile’s President Gabriel Boric posted on social media after an emergency service alert, which also ordered evacuations in the nearby Antarctic areas.  

Boric said “all resources are available” to respond. “Right now, our duty is to be prepared and heed the authorities,” he wrote.

Photos and social media videos showed people calmly evacuating as sirens blared in the background, Reuters reported.

In Punta Arenas, located in Chilean Patagonia and on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the streets quickly filled with residents searching for shelters, according to images broadcast on local television. 

The evacuation proceeded calmly and without panic. “We received the alert and we had to evacuate at work, but people are calm and well prepared,” Roberto Ramírez told the 24-hour channel.

The USGS said the quake’s epicenter was under the ocean 219 kilometers (173 miles) south of the Argentinian city of Ushuaia, in the Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica.

In Ushuaia, considered the world’s southernmost city, local authorities suspended all types of water activities and navigation in the Beagle Channel for at least three hours. No damage was reported.

“The earthquake was felt primarily in the city of Ushuaia and, to a lesser extent, in towns across the province,” the local government reported. “In the face of these types of events, it is important to remain calm.”

Chile’s Antarctic Institute told Reuters that bases there were being evacuated. Approximately 2,000 people have been evacuated, according to local authorities.

This is a developing story and will be updated.