"This is perhaps the largest evacuation ever carried out in our country, with 1.4 million people moved to higher ground," Chilean Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde said on 30/7, after the first tsunami waves reached the South American nation.
Chilean officials reported 60 cm waves on the country's northern coast, with no damage or casualties.
Chile's disaster response agency, SENAPRED, later lifted the tsunami warning for some areas, including the Antarctic territory, Easter Island, San Felix Island, and the Aysen and Magallanes regions. SENAPRED posted on X that most other coastal areas remained on alert.
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Waves crash against boats moored at a dock during a tsunami warning in Easter Island, Chile on 30/7. Photo: AFP |
Waves crash against boats moored at a dock during a tsunami warning in Easter Island, Chile on 30/7. Photo: AFP
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck on 30/7 with an epicenter 19 km below the seabed, about 136 km east of the city of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. More than 10 countries warned citizens to stay away from coastal areas due to the tsunami threat.
The tsunami caused widespread disruption. Peru closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports. Authorities on the island of Maui, Hawaii, canceled flights to and from the island of Hawaii.
In Japan, nearly two million people were ordered to evacuate to higher ground. One woman died in an accident while driving to evacuate. Ecuador closed national parks and schools, and evacuated tourists from coastal areas.
Fears of disaster eventually subsided as countries lifted or downgraded warnings, informing coastal residents they could return home.
In Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, where waves of up to 3 m were expected, people were relieved when the navy's oceanographic institute said the danger had passed.
Locals said the sea level dropped and then suddenly rose, a phenomenon often seen when a tsunami strikes, but only waves higher than 1 m appeared and caused no damage.
"Everything has calmed down, I'll go back to work. Restaurants and tourist attractions will also reopen," said resident Isabel Grijalva, 38.
The most serious damage occurred in Russia, where the tsunami swept through the port of Severo-Kurilsk and submerged a fishing plant. Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said seawater flooded the town's World War II memorial, which is about 400 m from the coast.
The earthquake caused minor damage in Kamchatka, with some minor injuries, although it was the strongest in the world since 2011. It was also the largest earthquake in the Kamchatka region since 1952.
Huyen Le (AFP, CNN)
