No tsunami threat to Hawaii following earthquake near Chile
There is no tsunami threat to Hawaii following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake near the coast of central Chile this afternoon.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “a destructive pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.” Chilean authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami.
No damages have been reported so far, but Chile’s National Emergency Office ordered a preventative evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the magnitude-6.7 quake was 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and had a depth of 53 kilometers. It struck at 7:32 p.m. local time.
Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people.