Massive offshore quake in rough seas of Drake Passage triggers tsunami alerts for parts of South America
The quake struck about 272 miles south of the Punta Arenas area of Chile in the area known as Drake's Passage just before 9 a.m. ET, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Tsunami sirens sound in Chile after Magnitude 7.4 earthquake
Tsunami warning sirens can be heard in Puerto Williams, Chile this morning after a large earthquake.
PUNTA ARENAS, Chile -- A large 7.4 earthquake rattled the waters off South America in one of the world's roughest ocean passages Friday, triggering fears of a tsunami and coastal evacuations.
The quake struck about 272 miles south of Chile's Punta Arenas area and about 135 miles south of Ushuria in the area known as Drake's Passage just before 9 a.m. ET, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
While the quake was estimated to be too small to trigger worldwide tsunami alerts, NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did issue a tsunami threat message for the coast of Chile within about 200 miles of the epicenter before giving the all clear around noon ET.
"Tsunami waves have been observed," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in its 11:35 a.m. ET update. Anomalous waves of just under a half foot were recorded at a gauge near the Vernadsky Research Facility in Antarctica.
Models indicated waves could reach as high as 3-9 feet above tide level along coastal Chile, while smaller waves of 1-3 feet were possible along some coasts of Antarctica, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. However, officials determined the threat had passed by noon ET and all alerts were canceled.
Videos posted to social media showed tsunami sirens sounding in the Puerto Williams area in the minutes after the quake, as Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service issued evacuation notices along the coastal sectors of the Magallenes region. It also told people to abandon all beach areas in the Chilean Antarctic territory, issuing a Red Alert and mobilizing government emergency response efforts.
Government officials said they evacuated over 1,800 people from the shorelines.
Drake Passage has since been struck by more than a dozen strong aftershocks, including a quake just before 2 p.m. ET that registered a magnitude 6.4, according to the USGS. None were strong enough to trigger any further tsunami concerns.
There are no initial reports of any damage or injuries.