Earthquake Hits Off Coast of North Chile
By PASCALE BONNEFOY and SIMON ROMERO

SANTIAGO, Chile — An 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday night, forcing a massive evacuation along the country’s long coastline. At least five people were reported to have died.

The first waves of a tsunami hit several cities along the coast, which extends 2,653 miles.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in waters 53 miles southwest of Cuya, a small town in Arica Province near the border with Peru. The deaths — four men and one woman, all in the city of Iquique — were the result of heart attacks or crushing, Interior Minister Rodrigo Peñailillo said. At least three people in Iquique, which has a population of about 182,000, were also reported injured.

The national emergency service ordered the immediate evacuation of all coastal areas throughout the country, including Easter Island and the archipelago of Juan Fernández.

More waves were expected throughout the night, with the highest expected to reach eight feet, near Iquique, Chilean officials said. According to a Reuters report, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the coasts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua were also at risk, and an advisory was issued for Hawaii, with strong currents expected to reach there around 9:24 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, although no flooding was expected.

“We are evaluating minute by minute the variations in tide, and ask the population to remain informed,” Mr. Peñailillo said, emphasizing that the tsunami warning would last for several hours.

In the hours after the earthquake, more than 300 female prisoners escaped during the evacuation of a prison in Iquique, the authorities said. More than a dozen of the inmates were recaptured, according to the police.

The government said it was sending more than 100 special forces personnel and military troops to coordinate with the security forces in Iquique, Mr. Peñailillo added.

Electricity failures occurred across most of Arica, a port city of about 200,000 people, and some adobe homes crumbled in the quake, Chilean news media reported. Mining companies in northern Chile did not immediately report damage to their installations.

No looting was reported, said Ricardo Toro, the director of the national emergency service.

Chile lies in one of the world’s most earthquake-prone zones. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in 2010 off the coast of central Chile left at least 525 people dead. In 1960, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake, thought to be the largest of the 20th century, hit near Chile’s coast near the city of Valdivia; the disaster left about 1,600 people dead, largely from a tsunami caused by the earthquake.

About 300 earthquakes of varying magnitude have shaken Chile’s northern coast in several weeks, delivering an unusual surge in seismic activity in the region. Since the 2010 earthquake, Chilean authorities have sought to improve evacuation procedures.

The evacuations on Tuesday night seemed to proceed in a calm and orderly fashion. Since 2010, there have been several tsunami emergency drills along the coast, so people are much more prepared and aware of what they have to do.

智利8.2強震 大浪、山崩、路斷

智利北部城市伊基克外海當地時間1日晚上8時46分(台灣時間2日上午7時46分)發生芮氏規模8.2的強震，出現高度2.11公尺大浪，當局下令濱海地區疏散以策安全。智利救難單位表示，強震引發山崩，導致部分道路交通中斷。路透報導，目前確認5人死亡、3人受傷。

美國地理調查局(USGS)表示，這場地震發生在北部伊基克外海西北方99公里處，震源深度僅海床下10公里，該地區過去兩周已經發生許多次地震。位在夏威夷的美國地理調查局向中美與南美數國發出警告，強震產生高度2.11公尺的大浪。智利、厄瓜多、祕魯當局發布海嘯警告。智利政府發布疏散命令，要求沿岸民眾到高處避難。

智利大學地震學家帕爾多說，地震後數小時內又發生至少8次強烈餘震，其中一次達到6.2芮氏規模，目前無法排除未來還有餘震，甚至是更大規模地震的可能性。

地震造成智利北部山崩，部分道路受阻，欲撤離的民眾卡在車陣中。智利國家緊急辦公室主管托洛說，海嘯的第一波大浪沖擊北部沿岸，南部海岸在未來5小時內也可能發生海嘯。

智利內政部長潘內立羅說，伊基克一所女監約300名囚犯趁亂逃走。警方說，約16名女犯人立刻被抓回來。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/world/americas/earthquake-hits-off-coast-of-north-chile.html

2014-04-02．聯合晚報．A6．國際焦點．編譯蔡致仁