At least five dead after earthquake off northern Chile

An 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile last night, forcing a massive evacuation along the country's long coastline. At least five people are reported to have died.

The first waves of a tsunami hit several cities along the coast, which extends 2,653 miles. The epicentre of the earthquake was in waters 53 miles southwest of Cuya, a small town in Arica province near the border with Peru.

President Michelle Bachelet declared the northern coastal area a disaster zone, promising troops and police reinforcements to maintain public order while damage was repaired after landslides blocked roads.

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Coastal residents in Chile have been evacuated to higher ground. Photograph: Jose Luis Saavedra/ Reuters

The deaths - of four men and one woman, all in the city of Iquique - were the result of heart attacks or crushing, interior minister Rodrigo Penailillo said. At least three people in Iquique, which has a population of about 182,000, were reportedly injured.

The national emergency service ordered the evacuation of all coastal areas throughout the country, including Easter Island and the archipelago of Juan Fernandez.

More waves were expected throughout the night, with the highest expected to reach 8 feet, near Iquique, officials said. According to Reuters, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the coasts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua were also at risk.

“We are evaluating minute by minute the variations in tide and ask the population to remain informed,” Mr Penailillo said, emphasising that the tsunami warning would last for several hours.

In the hours after the earthquake, more than 300 female prisoners escaped during the evacuation of a prison in Iquique, the authorities said. More than a dozen of the inmates were recaptured, according to the police.

The government said it was sending more than 100 special forces personnel and military troops to co-ordinate with the security forces in Iquique, Mr Penailillo added.

Electricity failures occurred across most of Arica, a port city of about 200,000 people, and some adobe homes crumbled in the quake, Chilean media reported. Mining companies in northern Chile did not immediately report damage to their installations.

No looting was reported, said Ricardo Toro, the director of the national emergency service.

Chile lies in one of the world’s most earthquake-prone zones. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in 2010 off the coast of central Chile left at least 525 people dead.

In 1960, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake, thought to be the largest of the 20th century, hit near Chile’s coast near the city of Valdivia; the disaster left about 1,600 people dead, largely from a tsunami caused by the earthquake.

About 300 earthquakes of varying magnitude have shaken Chile’s northern coast in a period of several weeks, delivering an unusual surge in seismic activity in the region. Since the 2010 earthquake, the Chilean authorities have sought to improve evacuation procedures.

The evacuations last night seemed to be calm and orderly. Since 2010, there have been several tsunami emergency drills along the coast.

An earthquake off the coast of southern Chile in February 2010 killed about 500 people and caused $30 billion in damage and losses.

New York Times /Agencies