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Chile issues evacuation alert for coastal areas in the Magallanes region in the country’s far south.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) says.
Chilean authorities issued an evacuation alert on Friday for the entire coastal section of the Strait of Magellan, in the far south of the South American country.
Citing the threat of a tsunami, the Chilean National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response also ordered the evacuation of the beach area of the Antarctic Territory, Magallanes Region.
Argentina did not immediately issue a similar tsunami warning.
No damage or casualties have been initially reported.
The earthquake struck Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a depth of just 10km (6 miles), the USGS said.
Magallanes is Chile’s largest and southernmost region and one of its least populated. According to government figures, in 2017, the population totalled about 166,000 people.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said all of the country’s resources were available to respond to the quake.
“We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region,” he wrote in a social media post. “At this time, our duty is to be prepared and heed the authorities.”
Meanwhile, in the Argentine city of Ushuaia, considered the world’s southernmost, local authorities suspended all types of water activities and navigation in the Beagle Channel for at least three hours.
“The earthquake was felt primarily in the city of Ushuaia and, to a lesser extent, in towns across the province,” the local government reported. “In the face of these types of events, it is important to remain calm.”
