Deadly earthquake: Million people flee homes as tsunami slams Chile coast

At least five people have died after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Chile late Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital city of Santiago, about 175 miles to the south. The quake and heavy waves caused flooding in coastal towns, damaged buildings and knocked out power in the worst hit areas of central Chile. More than a million people were forced from their homes as the government ordered the evacuation of coastal areas, anxious to avoid a repeat of a quake disaster in 2010, when authorities were slow to warn of a tsunami that killed hundreds.

It’s been awful. We ran out of the house with our grandchildren and now we are on a hill hoping it will be over soon.

Maria Angelica Leiva, resident of the coastal town of Navidad

Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia, although waves were generally expected to be small. In Chile, a 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago. The coastal town of Coquimbo was hit by waves of up to 15 feet after the earthquake.

It’s going to be a long night.

Ronny Perez in the inland Chilean city of Illapel

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