Huge earthquake hits Chile
South American nation hit by magnitude-8.8 quake; hundreds killed, tsunami waves feared
A devastating magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, shattering buildings and bridges, killing at least 300 people and setting off a tsunami that threatened every nation around the Pacific Ocean - roughly a quarter of the globe.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that it was in contact with Israel's envoys in Santiago and that all Israeli diplomatic staff in the country was safe. The Ministry is aware of 18-20 Israeli backpackers who were in the area and have yet to contact their families.
Scene of devastation in Santiago (Photo: AP)
Chilean TV showed devastating images of the most powerful quake to hit the country in a half-century: In the second city of Concepcion trucks plunged into the fractured earth, homes fell, bridges collapsed and buildings were engulfed in flames. Injured people lay in the streets or on stretchers.
Many roads were destroyed and electricity and water were cut to many areas.
Experts warned that a tsunami could strike anywhere in the Pacific, and Hawaii could face its largest waves since 1964. Tsunami waves were likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the earthquake. The US West Coast and Alaska, too, were threatened.
State of catastrophe
A huge wave swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles (660 kilometers) off the Chilean coast, President Michele Bachelet said, but there were no immediate reports of major damage there. She also declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile.
"We have had a huge earthquake, with some aftershocks," Bachelet said from an emergency response center. She urged Chileans not to panic.
"Despite this, the system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately," she said.
