An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 has struck south-west of the city of Puerto Montt in southern Chile, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The agency put the quake’s magnitude at 7.7 and said it struck at 11.22 am local time near the southern tip of Chiloé Island, about 25 miles (40km) south-west of Puerto Quellón city and at a depth of 20 miles (33km). The area, about 140 miles (225km) from Puerto Montt, is relatively sparsely populated.
Chile’s naval oceanographic service declared a preventative tsunami alert for areas within 621 miles (1,000km) of the epicentre, and officials began evacuating coastal areas in the southern part of the country. But officials later removed the tsunami warning.
Chile’s National Emergency Office (Onemi) said a tsunami watch remained in place, and reiterated his call for Los Lagos residents to abandon beaches and go to higher ground. Toro said there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
Onemi said approximately 4,000 people had evacuated the Los Lagos area.
According to media reports, the quake was felt in the city of Bariloche, over the border in Argentina.
Chile has a long history of deadly earthquakes, including a 8.8-magnitude event in 2010 off the south-central coast, which triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.
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