Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Chile earthquake live: Tsunami warnings issued as coastal nations brace on both sides of Pacific

Large waves and dangerous sea conditions are expected in next 24 hours after a huge 8.3-magnitude quake struck just off the coast of Chile

Adam Withnall
Thursday 17 September 2015 03:39 EDT
Comments
People evacuate a mall in Santiago after a powerful earthquake Sept. 16, 2015
People evacuate a mall in Santiago after a powerful earthquake Sept. 16, 2015 (AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Here are the latest updates:

Death toll rises to five in Chile after earthquake

One million people evacuated from coastal areas

• Tsunami alerts issued from California to New Zealand

• Hawaii expects waves to hit from 3am (2pm BST)

• To hit New Zealand, Australia and Japan later

At least 30 significant aftershocks follow first quake

Please allow the liveblog a moment to load

Tsunami warnings have been issued across both sides of the Pacific after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile, killing at least five people.

The powerful quake shook buildings as far south as Chile's capital, Santiago, around 175 miles (280km) away from the epicentre.

Around one million people have been evacuated from coastal areas, officials said, which were hit by widespread flooding.

While the effects are expected to be less severe elsewhere, advisories were issued for other parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia.

In New Zealand, warnings were issued for residents in eastern coastal areas. Authorities urged people to stay away from beaches amid concerns for "unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows near the shore".

Data from the US Geological Survey suggested that there had been 30 significant aftershocks in the hours since the initial quake, which occurred just off the coast, 30 miles west of Illlapel.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in