[size=75:1juvbf5a]BBC news 27 February 2010

Massive earthquake strikes Chile

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A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has hit central Chile, killing at least 78 people, ministers say.

The quake struck at 0634 GMT about 115km (70 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital, Santiago.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a "
state of catastrophe"
in affected areas and appealed for calm.

People are moving to higher ground on Easter Island amid fears of a tsunami. Alerts are in place across the Pacific.

Tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Central America and Pacific island nations.

Santiago airport has been closed and all flights cancelled until further notice, airline officials say. Flights are being diverted to Mendoza in Argentina.

Aftershocks

The earthquake is the biggest to hit Chile in 50 years.

Giving details of the latest casualties, President Bachelet said 34 of the deaths were in Maule, 13 in the Santiago municipality, 12 in the O'Higgins region, 10 in Biobio, five in Araucania and four in Valparaiso.

She said these were preliminary figures and could rise.

President Bachelet said: "
People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information [we have] we will share immediately."


She said a "
wave of large proportion"
had affected the Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Two aid ships are reported to be on their way.

Ms Bachelet said that "
high tidal waves"
could also reach Easter Island soon.

"
Because of that we are evacuating people living in low-lying areas,"
she said.

Ms Bachelet said if there were more aftershocks, people in coastal areas of Chile should go to higher ground.


POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES
Haiti, 12 Jan 2010: About 230,000 people die after shallow 7.0 magnitude quake
Sumatra, Indonesia, 26 Dec 2004: 9.2 magnitude. Triggers Asian tsunami that kills nearly 250,000 people
Alaska, US, 28 March 1964: 9.2 magnitude;
128 people killed. Anchorage badly damaged
Chile, south of Concepcion, 22 May 1960: 9.5 magnitude. About 1,655 deaths. Tsunami hits Hawaii and Japan
Kamchatka, NE Russia, 4 Nov 1952: 9.0 magnitude



She warned people not to travel on roads in affected areas as a number of bridges were down.

Chilean officials said the worst affected town appeared to be Parral, close to the epicentre.

Television pictures showed a major bridge at Concepcion had collapsed into the Biobio river.

Chilean television said there had been a fire involving chemicals in the town of Colina, 20km north of Santiago, but that it was now under control.

Several hospitals have had to be evacuated in a number of areas, including Santiago, because of structural damage.

One resident of Chillan, 100km from the epicentre, told Chilean television the shaking there lasted about two minutes.

Other residents of Chillan and Curico said communications were down but running water was still available.

Many of Chile's news websites and radio stations are still not accessible.

Buildings in Santiago were reported to have shaken for between 10 and 30 seconds, with the loss of electricity and communications.

Officials said damage to Santiago international airport's terminal would keep it closed for at least 24 hours.

Quake damage in Santiago, 27 Feb
A number of fatalities were reported in the Santiago municipality

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 35km.

It also recorded eight aftershocks, the largest of 6.9 magnitude at 0801 GMT.

The USGS said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west of Santiago, with a wave height of 1.69m above normal sea level.

One journalist speaking to Chilean national television from the city of Temuco, 600km south of Santiago, said many people there had left their homes, determined to spend the rest of the night outside. Some people on the streets were in tears.

A university professor in Santiago, Cristian Bonacic, said that this was a massive quake but that the cities seemed to have resisted well. Internet communications were working but not mobile phones.

Chile is highly vulnerable to earthquakes as it is situated on the Pacific "
Rim of Fire"
, on the edge of the Pacific and South American plates.

Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.

Looks a bad one. I hope the guys that are expecting the Tsunami do OK.

Fingers crossed for them all.

Yes looks bad,and the tidal wave to follow can do a lot more damage




Mike

OMG,
there for the grace of god.
This must be so awful for all that are affected, may god go with them.
Thoughts and prayers to them all

I can only have the same words here as jenny this is such a shock and its happening all over the place now! what's happening to our world

[size=75:10eemmq6]novinite 27 February 2010

Tsunami Threatens Entire Pacific Coast after Chile Quake

Tsunami waves triggered by the powerful 8,8 earth quake in Chile are threatening Hawaii with devastation, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center informs Saturday.

The messages alert about the urgent need to undertake measures to protect the life and the property of the local people.

The first wave is expected to reach Hawaii around 11:20 am local time (11 pm Bulgarian time) with height of 5 meters. The culmination of each wave hitting the shore can last anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, but the danger will linger for hours after the first hit.

In addition to Hawaii, high alert is declared for the entire Pacific Ocean – the South America shoreline, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Russia.

People are warned to not go to the beaches to watch the tsunami, to anchor and tie their boats or those already in boating in the Pacific to remain in open sea until further orders. Chileans along the coast are evacuating as well after the waves hit the Juan Fernandez island group, reportedly causing serious devastation.

Until 3 pm Bulgarian time the dead toll was listed at 78, but it is expected to climb.

The earthquake struck 35 km deep at 06:34 GMT, some 91 km northeast of the city of Concepcion and 317 km southwest of the capital, Santiago.

Buildings in Santiago were reported to have shaken for between 10 and 30 seconds, with the loss of electricity and communications. Preliminary reports list at least 78 casualties and a large number of collapsed buildings.

Santiago airport is closed and all flights are canceled until further notice, airline officials say.

The shocks were felt strongly also in Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

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[size=75:10iqbbhj]novinite 27 February 2010

Chili Quake Death Toll Reaches 122, Tsunami Hits Coast

Numerous tsunami waves have been reported in the Pacific, with one reaching as high as 7,7 feet in the central Chile coastal town of Talcahuan, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reports, cited by CNN.

Tsunami have further hit French Polynesia and are expected to reach Mexico in minutes.

The tsunami were triggered by a powerful 8,8 earthquake that struck 35 km deep at 06:34 GMT, some 91 km northeast of the city of Concepcion and 317 km southwest of the Chilean capital, Santiago. The shocks were felt strongly in Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

The death toll has climbed to 122 and is expected to go much higher, but officials are not yet giving any information on the number of the injured.

The capital of Santiago lost electricity and basic services including water and telephones. Regional hospitals had suffered damage and some were evacuated. There are also reports of collapsed buildings. A major bridge connecting northern and southern Chile was rendered inoperable, and the Santiago airport remains closed.

Numerous aftershocks -- including one of magnitude 6,9 -- were felt within hours of the initial quake, USGS says.

Meanwhile sirens sounded across Hawaii, warning of a possible tsunami and telling people to in coastal areas to evacuate. The messages alert about the urgent need to undertake measures to protect the life and the property of the locals.

The first wave is expected to reach Hawaii around 11:20 am local time (11 pm Bulgarian time) with height of 5 meters. The culmination of each wave hitting the shore can last anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, but the danger will linger for hours after the first hit.

In addition to Hawaii, high alert is declared for the entire Pacific Ocean – the South America shoreline, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Russia.

[size=75:33il647s]Guardian on line 27 February 2010

Chile earthquake: Pacific nations brace for tsunami

A wide array of Pacific nations, including the US, Australia, the Phillipines to Japan, are bracing for potentially devastating tidal waves after a massive earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami that is radiating across the ocean.

The quake, with a magnitude of 8.8, has killed at least 122 people in mainland Chile and prompted the evacuation of coastal areas on Easter Island – famous for its monumental stone statues – as well as Samoa and American Samoa.

Countries across the Asia-Pacific region are readying emergency measures drawn up after the Indian Ocean quake of 2004, with the tsunami expected to hit in the next 24 hours.

Michelle Bachelet, the outgoing Chilean president, declared a "
state of catastrophe"
in central Chile and said a huge tidal wave had swept into the Juan Fernandez Islands. Local radio stations reported serious damage on the archipelago, which reputedly inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe.

The president-elect, Sebastian Pinera, said more than 122 people had died in the quake, and the toll was rising quickly. Bachelet said there were more than 85 deaths just in the Maule region, at the quake's epicentre.

"
We have had a huge earthquake with some aftershocks. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately. Without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths,"
Bachelet said.

Chile's interior minister, Edmundo Perez Yoma, said: "
It has been a devastating earthquake. The death toll will continue rising."


Warnings of tidal waves were issued in 53 other countries. The Pacific tsunami warning centre said the quake had generated a wave that could cause destruction along nearby shores "
and could also be a threat to more distant coasts"
. It issued a tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Hawaii, while Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica are also on alert.

"
Chile probably got the brunt force of the tsunami already. So probably the worst has already happened in Chile,"
said Victor Sardina, geophysicist at the centre. "
The tsunami was pretty big too. We reported some places around 8ft. And it's quite possible it would be higher in other areas."


The centre warned that waves up to 4.8 metres high could hit the coasts of the Hawaiian islands, with the first reaching Hawaii at 9pm GMT. "
Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,"
the centre said in a bulletin. "
All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face."


It said the first waves after a quake were not necessarily the largest, and wave heights were difficult to predict because they can vary significantly along a coast due to the local topography.

Chile's navy said officials had lifted the tsunami warning in southern Chile, local radio reported. The Joint Australian tsunami warning centre warned of a "
potential tsunami threat"
to the states of New South Wales and Queensland, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

The quake, which shook buildings as far away as Argentina, was centred 200 miles south-west of Santiago at a depth of 22 miles, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It reported 11 aftershocks, five of them measuring 6.0 or above, in the two and a half hours following the quake.

The epicentre was 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, with a population of about 670,000. TV Chile reported that a 15-storey building collapsed in the city, where buildings were on fire, highway bridges collapsed and cracks opened up in the streets, Reuters reported.

Santiago's international airport was forced to close, a highway bridge collapsed and rubble from damaged buildings fell on to the streets. Speaking to a local television station in Temuco, one witness said: "
Never in my life have I experienced a quake like this, it's like the end of the world."


Chile is at a high risk of earthquakes because it lies on the boundary between the Pacific and South American tectonic plates. According to seismologists, there is usually about one quake of magnitude eight or more a year, and one reaching 8.8 would be expected only every few years.

Dr Brian Baptie, of the British Geological Survey, said: "
In global terms this is a very rare quake. Chile has experienced some very big quakes in the past. It was about 124 miles north-east of the largest earthquake ever recorded – 9.5, in 1960 – which resulted in a destructive tsunami that killed many thousands of people around the Pacific."


He said a 1.3-metre tsunami wave was observed at Valparaiso about 20 minutes after the earthquake. "
Tsunami waves in the deep ocean travel about the same speed as a jet plane and would take about 15 hours to reach Hawaii and about 20 hours to reach the other side of the Pacific,"
he said.

Dr David Rothery, senior lecturer at the Open University's department of earth and environmental sciences, said the tsunami was "
now radiating away from the epicentre and travelling at several hundred kilometres per hour across the Pacific ocean"
.

The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on 22 May 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless, and caused a tsunami that killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

That tsunami was about one to four metres in height, according to Japan's meteorological agency. It said the tsunami from today's quake was likely to be much smaller.

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[size=75:2yvw816j]novinite 27 February 2010

Chile Quake Death Toll Reaches 147, Tsunami Hits Coast

Numerous tsunami waves have been reported in the Pacific, with one reaching as high as 7,7 feet in the central Chile coastal town of Talcahuan, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reports, cited by CNN.

Tsunamis have further hit French Polynesia and are expected to reach Mexico soon.

The tsunami were triggered by a powerful 8,8 earthquake that struck 35 km deep at 06:34 GMT, some 91 km northeast of the city of Concepcion and 317 km southwest of the Chilean capital, Santiago. The shocks were felt strongly in Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.

The death toll has climbed to 147 and is expected to go much higher, but officials are not yet giving any information on the number of the injured.

The capital of Santiago lost electricity and basic services including water and telephones. Regional hospitals had suffered damage and some were evacuated. There are also reports of collapsed buildings. A major bridge connecting northern and southern Chile was rendered inoperable, and the Santiago airport remains closed.

Numerous aftershocks -- including one of magnitude 6,9 -- were felt within hours of the initial quake, USGS says.

Meanwhile sirens sounded across Hawaii, warning of a possible tsunami and telling people to in coastal areas to evacuate. The messages alert about the urgent need to undertake measures to protect the life and the property of the locals.

The first wave is expected to reach Hawaii around 11:20 am local time (11 pm Bulgarian time) with height of 5 meters. The culmination of each wave hitting the shore can last anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, but the danger will linger for hours after the first hit.

In addition to Hawaii, high alert is declared for the entire Pacific Ocean – the South America shoreline, Australia, New Zealand,
Japan and Russia.

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[size=75:yftkw66u]US Geological Survey (USGS)


A little bit of interesting information about earthquakes

Largest earthquakes since 1900

1 Chile 1960 9.5

2 Alaska 1964 9.2

3 Indonesia 2004 9.1

4 Kamchatka 1952 9.0

5= Ecuador 1906 8.8

5= Chile 2010 8.8

7 Alaska 1965 8.7

8= Indonesia 2005 8.6

8= Tibet 1950 8.6

8= Alaska 1957 8.6

Magnitude as recorded by Richter scale

Thanks for the info Ash - We are just so lucky here in the UK

thoughts and prayers are with all those poor unfortunate people all over the world.

Oddy

The Times News
Chile earthquake: Tsunami sweeps across the Pacific

Australians wanting to enjoy a dip on the last day of summer were told to “get out of the water” as a tsunami triggered by yesterday’s enormous earthquake in Chile swept across the Pacific Ocean, threatening more than 50 countries and island chains today.

The tsunami was spawned by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that killed over 300 people in Chile and sent waves barrelling north.

There were no immediate reports of widespread damage, injuries or deaths in the US or in the Pacific islands, but a tsunami that swamped a village on an island off Chile killed at least five people and left 11 missing.

Experts warned it was still possible that the tsunami would gain strength again as it headed towards Japan, and tsunami warnings were issued to nearly 50 countries and island chains from Antarctica to Russia.

Waves of up to 1.5m (5ft) were reported to have hit the New Zealand coastline, while in French Polynesia, huge waves struck the Gambier archipelago. The Marquesas islands, northeast of Polynesia, were hit by a series of 2m (6.5ft) waves that damaged some boats, however there were no reports of injuries.

In the South Pacific territories of Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa, where memories are still fresh of a tsunami that killed at least 118 last September, coastal residents moved to higher ground during the early morning darkness when the tsunami warnings were first issued.

Russia and Japan were bracing for the prospect of large waves, while in Australia beaches were cleared amid fears of a repeat of the carnage that caught the world off guard in Asia in 2004.

Japan issued its first “major” tsunami warning in nearly two decades, evacuating more than 70,000 residents and cautioning that waves as high as 10 feet could hit northern coastal areas.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said the tsunami alert applied to its entire Pacific coast, but said the waves were expected to be biggest in the north.

Ships and fishing boats were sent out to sea to avoid being caught in large waves. The first tsunami waves, up to 30 cm (12 inches) high, hit Nemuro on the northern island of Hokkaido in the early afternoon. Far bigger waves of up to 10 feet could hit northern areas of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, south of Hokkaido, the Meteorological Agency said.

Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama urged extreme caution even as fears of destructive waves eased across the rest of the Pacific.

"
We should not drop our guard,"
the sombre-looking prime minister said. "
I would like people to take all possible measures."


The Chilean disaster revived raw memories for Japan, where 140 lives were lost in 1960 when a 9.5-magnitude earthquake in the South American nation - the largest on record - sent a tsunami roaring across the Pacific.

Russia issued a similar warning and launched an evacuation in its Pacific peninsula of Kamchatka, however it later cancelled the tsunami warning after the waves that hit the peninsula of Kamchatka proved too small for danger.

In Australia officials were also not taking any chances. Beaches along the east coast were closed for the day as the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) warned of rising sea waters and accelerated tidal movements. Water levels rose a 10cm (4 inches) off Tasmania as the tide fluctuated every 30 minutes.

“It's unlikely there will be big waves but very significant variations in sea levels in a relatively short space of time,” said Alasdair Hainsworth, spokesman for the JATWC.

“It's almost like the tide comes in and goes out in less than half an hour. So you can imagine the kind of currents and the potential danger to people in boats and also, more importantly, in the water.

“They could easily find themselves in very strong currents, very, very quickly.”

In Sydney hundreds of people lined the world-famous Bondi beach to see if there would be any tsunami waves. Lifeguards had ordered people out of the water, however many people remained on the beach and continued to swim despite the warnings, eager to enjoy the last day of the Australian summer.

"
Initially everybody got out, however, people seem to be going back in and the tsunami warning is still active,"
Bondi lifesaver Jacob Waxs said. "
The surfers here in Bondi will still be out there when there's a shark alarm."

[size=75:1s0zeksd]novinite 28 February 2010

2 Million People in Chile Affected by Earthquake

The 8,8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday has claimed at least 300 lives.

The death toll is rising as rescue teams are searching for survivors in the devastated areas.

Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet announced in an address that two million people have been affected by the earthquake, and that 1,5 million buildings have been damaged.

One of the most devastating earthquakes on record hit Chile before dawn on Saturday, with its epicenter some 320 km south of the capital Santiago. The capital has also been affected but the city of Concepcion to the south has been hit hardest.

Chile’s President Bachelet has declared six of the country’s 15 regions disaster zones.

Five people have been killed by a two-meter tsunami wave in the Robinson Crusoe Islands off Chile’s coast. However, even though some 50 countries in the Pacific Rim braced for a possible tsunami, these fears have failed to materialize with only minor waves reaching places such as New Zealand and Japan.

[size=75:mqnhfoy3]novinite 28 February 2010

6,1-Magnitude Aftershock Quake Strikes off Chile's Coast

powerful aftershock earthquake with a magnitude of 6,1 struck off the coast Chile early Sunday local time.

The strongest aftershock comes about a day after much of the country was devastated by the 8,8-magnitude quake that struck early Saturday morning.

According to the US Geological Survey, the aftershock hit at 8:25 am local time, and its epicenter was located 63 km north of the city of Talca.

No additional damages or casualties have been reported as a result of the aftershock. At least 300 have been killed in the original earthquake on Saturday.