Phivolcs monitoring tsunami possibility after Chile quake

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is monitoring sea level changes associated with the 8.2-magnitude earthquake in Northern Chile on Wednesday morning.

“No evacuation order is in effect. The public is advised to wait and listen for updates,” the Philippines Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

A strong tremor hit near the coast of Northern Chile at 7:47 a.m. (Philippine time) with a magnitude of 8.2 and a depth of 10 kilometers.

“An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours,” Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs issued tsunami warnings in the Philippines for a few times in the past after an earthquake in Chile. It is located on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

A tsunami warning is in effect in Chile, Peru and Ecuador, while a tsunami watch is in place in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Tsunami waves were monitored in tide gauges in Peru and Chile with a maximum wave height of 2.1 meters in Pisagua, Chile, Phivolcs said.

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