Powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits Argentina; tsunami warning issued
What's the story
A massive 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit Argentina on Friday, around 1:00pm UTC (9:00am local time). The tremor's epicenter was in the Drake Passage, about 220km south of Ushuaia in southern Argentina. The quake came from about 10km below the Earth's surface and was followed by a tsunami alert issued soon after its strike.
Tsunami warning
Tsunami alert issued for affected regions
The US Tsunami Warning System has released a tsunami alert for areas within 300km of the quake's epicenter, southern Argentina and Chile. The warning mentions "hazardous waves" and advises residents to leave coastal areas and find higher ground. It also says ETA may differ; Puerto Williams in Chile has been warned of a possible tsunami at 6:55pm UTC on Friday.
Twitter Post
Tsunami warning sirens in Puerto Williams
Tsunami warning sirens in Puerto Williams, Chile
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People are moving to higher ground after 7.4 Earthquake. pic.twitter.com/ImLCnigJzW
Evacuations
Residents of Puerto Williams flee to safety
Videos on social media show tsunami warning sirens going off in Puerto Williams, where residents are evacuating to safety. Following the quake and the tsunami risk, the Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service said the whole southern coastal area of Chile would be evacuated. There were no reports of casualties as of now.