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Powerful Quake Shakes Chile and Peru

Categories: Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Disaster
Sismo

Image taken [1] from @24HorasTVN Twitter account

[All links lead to Spanish-language webpages unless otherwise indicated.]

A powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake [2] hit northern Chile and southern Peru, as well as neighboring areas in Bolivia, during the early evening of Tuesday, April 1, 2014, triggering a tsunami warning for the coastline.

Six people died in Chile, including one Peruvian man [3]. In Peru, there were no reports of significant damage [4] in the three cities where the temblor shook with the most intensity – Tacna, Moquegua and Arequipa.

Peruvians took to Twitter during and after the shaking. There, some said the city of Tacna was without electricity due to electric poles falling over:

In the city of Tacna, the movement was strong, the city has no electric power.

A report from La Linterna Radio provided more details:

Report from Tacna as a result of the powerful earthquake felt seconds ago.

Reportedly, there was no electricity or mobile phone service in Moquegua:

Regions of Tacna and Moquegua without electricity. Movistar and Claro cellphone services have collapsed after the earthquake…

From Chile came reports of evacuation from cities along the northern coast in anticipation of a possible tsunami:

LATEST NEWS – Evacuation in northern Chile carried out calmly, according to our correspondent in Arica.

PICTURES: This is how Chile's coasts are being evacuating due to the tsunami alert.

Likewise, there was also an evacuation order in Peru for several cities in the south of the country:

URGENT: Order of evacuation for Peruvian coastline: Arequipa, Ica, Tacna.

URGENT – EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE: Peruvian authorities tell AFP that they are evacuating the population in the country's south.

URGENT – EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE: Access closed to the [Lima coastline] Costa Verde from [the districts of] San Miguel, Magdalena, San Isidro, Miraflores and Barranco in Lima.

The first tsunami waves were reported to be arriving to the coasts of Ilo and Tacna in southern Peru:

Tsunami waves arrive to La Punta Callao at 8:31 p.m., Ica at 7:39, Tacna and Moquegua already arriving.

Meanwhile in Chile, there were reports of aftershocks:

CHILE: At least five 5-magnitude aftershocks after powerful earthquake. These are the countries with tsunami alert.