Imminent Pacific Tsunami after 8.8 Earthquake hits Chile

A strong 8.8 Richter magnitude earthquake occured Saturday in the Pacific Ocean nearby the Chile's coast. Country's president Michelle Bachelet announced 85 people dead only in the Maule region and the death toll is expected to rise. The 8.8 quake happened at 3:34 at a depth of 50 km and at a distance of 91 km north of the city of Conception and 42 km west of Cauquenes city. The tremor had a time span between 10-30 seconds and triggered Tsunami warnings in the whole Pacific basin and South and Central America area. The authorities from Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica are under alert. So far a 3 meters Tsunami hit already the Robinson Crusoe island, the biggest island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. A village off the island was flooded and the people were displaced toward highlands. Following the initial 8.8 quake several powerful aftershocks took place including one of 6.9 magnitude.
Video 8.8 magnitude Chile earthquake 27/02/2010