A 7.4 earthquake off the coast of South America sent Chile’s residents scrambling for high ground Friday after officials issued a tsunami warning that was later rescinded.
The warning came after the quake struck at 9:00 a.m. about 124 miles south of Puerto Williams, near Chile’s southern tip. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake struck at a depth of 6 miles, and four smaller aftershocks were recorded in the region shortly afterward.
Authorities warned Chileans of possible tsunami waves of up to nine feet, with waves of up to three feet possible in Antarctica, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported.
But later in the morning the alert was cancelled.
Disaster authorities had ordered the coastal area of the Magallanes Region in Southern Chile evacuated. Videos posted on social media showed civilians making their way out of the area.
The National Disaster Prevention and Response System, (SENAPRED) told residents that it will “continue to assess the impact on people and damage to infrastructure and basic services.”
It also reminded Chileans: “Don’t forget to consider your pet and its needs.”
The Magallanes region, near where the quake struck, is Chile’s largest and southernmost and one of its least populated. According to government figures, in 2017 the population totaled about 166,000 people.
Chile sits right on what is known as the “ring of fire,” a collection of volcanoes and tectonic plates that rim the Pacific and produce 90% of the world’s earthquakes.
The most powerful earthquake ever recorded devastated Chile in 1960, logging a magnitude of 9.5.
Between 1,000 and 6,000 people were killed in the quake and resulting tsunamis, which swept across the Pacific Ocean and affected even Hawaii, more than 6000 miles away.
Waves reached as high as 80 feet.
