Yet another tragedy has occurred. It has not been long since Haiti was hit by a strong quake, and now, another has hit Chile. The 8.8 tremor hit the middle part of the country early this morning, shaking the affected areas to the core. While initial reports do not exhibit damages as extensive as what Haiti has experienced, the strength of the quake has the potential to incur just as much.
So far, six people have been reported dead, although the numbers are expected to rise within the day, when more information can be gathered. Buildings have collapsed, telephone lines and power lines are down, and a tsunami was triggered by the quake.
MSNBC reports more on the tsunami, which can affect other countries as well:
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Chile and Peru, and a less-urgent tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica.
“Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts,” the center said.
The U.S. west coast tsunami warning center said it did not expect a tsunami along the west of the U.S. or Canada but was continuing to monitor the situation.
Monitor your local news and online agencies for more updated information on the Chile earthquake, which is classified under the label great. As a point for comparison, the Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0.
