An earthquake was recorded this Friday, May 2 off the Chilean and Argentinian coast this Friday.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 was detected off the coast of Chile and Argentina, about 219km from the city of Ushuaia, reports the Institute of Geological Studies in the United States (United States Geological Survey), this Friday, May 2. A tsunami alert has been activated.
According to the USGS, the earthquake is 10km depth. The city of Ushuaïa, located in the far south of Argentina, has more than 80,000 inhabitants.
According to the hydrographic and oceanographic service of the Chilean Army (Shoa), the earthquake is even more important, 7.8, and was detected at 8:58 am, local time, 2:58 p.m.
Call to evacuate in the Magallanes region
The national prevention and response service to disasters in Chile has asked, “due to the threat of tsunami”, “the evacuation of a sector of the coastal border of the Magallanes region”.
“We call to evacuate the seaside throughout the Magallanes region,” wrote Chilean President Gabriel Boric made on his X account, asking the inhabitants to follow the authorities’ recommendations.
The Richter scale, making it possible to measure the intensity of earthquakes, goes from 1 to 9. A magnitude 6 to 7 earthquake is considered destructive.
Chile is one of the countries that has recorded the most earthquakes in the world. On its territory converge three tectonic plates: the Nazca plate, the South American plate and the Antarctic plate. In 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami, caused more than 520 dead.
