Chile Earthquake News: 8.2 Level Quake Rocks Country's North, Tsunami Warning Issued

An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale has rocked the northern part of Chile on Tuesday night, prompting a tsunami warning for the country's north. The National Emergency Office (ONEMI) put in place the tsunami warning, urging the country's coastal population to move to safety and calling for wide evacuations. According to the Seismological Service of the University of Chile, the quake occurred 85 kilometre South-West of Cuya in Tarapaca.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicentre within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was very shallow, only 6.2 miles (10 km) below the seabed. It was cantered 53 miles (86 km) northwest of Iquique, Chile's main mining export port. The area has been the site of numerous earthquakes in recent weeks.

Last Sunday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 degrees on the Richter scale rocked northern Chile on Sunday, however, no damages or casualties were reported. According to a report from the National Emergency Office, the epicenter of the quake was located 95 kilometers north of the city of Iquique, which suffered similar seismic activity last week when an earthquake of a 6.7 degree magnitude shook the country's north, provoking an evacuation and fears of a tsunami.