A strong earthquake shook the central coast of Chile near Santiago, claiming the lives of at least twelve people.
A strong earthquake shook the central coast of Chile near Santiago, claiming the lives of at least twelve people.
The earthquake was felt in a very large radius, up to Buenos Aires. There were several aftershocks and thousands left their homes.
Chile issued a first warning to the residents of areas near the coast to be removed. According to local authorities, houses collapsed in the central part of the country.
Twelve people are dead. The country's president, Michelle Bachelet, said that Chile must once again deal with a powerful blow of nature.
However, Chile passed the severe earthquake without extensive damage. If it is confirmed by the evolution of the situation, a significant progress will be marked in seismic protection. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake was razed areas and claimed the lives of more than 500 residents.
According to the US geodynamic institute, the quake hit the region at 7.54 pm (local time) and it was centered 228 kilometers north-northwest of Santiago. Initially the institute estimated the quake at 7.9 on the Richter scale but it quickly revised the quake upward to 8.4. The focal depth of the earthquake was at 5 km depth.
'Chile has good codes and good compliance, which together have reduced the vulnerabilities of their building stock over the decades," said Richard Olson, director of Florida International University's Extreme Events Institute. "I would rather be there in one of their cities than in many other countries in an earthquake.'
Sources: cbsnews.com, nytimes.com
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