Powerful 7.2-magnitude quake strikes off central Chile

[News_Editor]

Powerful 7.2-magnitude quake strikes off central Chile

2012-03-26 06:02:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

TALCA, CHILE (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile on early Sunday evening, seismologists and witnesses said, prompting authorities to evacuate coastal areas.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 6:37 p.m. local time (2237 GMT) was centered about 32 kilometers (20 miles) north-northwest of Talca, the capital of the province which carries the same name. It struck about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

According to the country's National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry (ONEMI), the earthquake was widely felt in the region and advised residents along coastal areas near the epicenter to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution. It was not immediately clear if an official tsunami warning had been issued.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert, but said earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the epicenter. "Authorities in the region should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action," the center said in a bulletin.

Other details were not immediately available.

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