Chile has issued a tsunami warning and said people should evacuate coastal areas in the south of the country after a large earthquake.
The warning was issued for the region distant from Magallanes on the southern tip of the country and certain parts of the Antarctic Chilean territory.
It occurs after an earthquake of amplitude of 7.4 struck 219 km (136 miles) off the city of Ushuaia, neighboring Argentina, Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake was also felt in Ushuaia, local media reports and replicas were reported in the region.
In an article on X, Chilean President Gabriel Boric said: “We call for the evacuation of the coast throughout the Magallanes region.” All state resources would be made available to deal with any impact, he added.
Until now, more than 1,700 people have been evacuated to higher land in the populated magallanes region, including 1,000 from the city of Puerto Williams and 500 from Puerto Natales, according to the Chile’s Catastrophe (Senapred).
Some 32 people also followed the evacuation procedures in the research bases in Antarctica in Chile, added Senapred.
The agency advised residents “to act calmly and to follow the instructions of the authorities and the response teams”.
Images published on social networks, not yet verified by the BBC, have shown that people were calmly heading for higher grounds in Puerto Williams, with sirens going back in the background.
The local media report that it is a precautionary measure, the residents being invited to evacuate towards safe areas 30 m above sea level.
The earthquake struck Drake’s passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), said US Geological Survey.
