Chile counts at least five deaths from Tuesday night's massive earthquake
USGS


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
At least five people are dead following the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that hit off northern Chile Tuesday night. According to Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo, the fatalities were caused by people being crushed or suffering heart attacks.
The Associated Press reports that close to 300 inmates escaped from a women's prison in the port city of Iquique, and the military will send a plane filled with special forces to help keep looting at bay. In several locations, landslides blocked roads, making it difficult for people to evacuate low-lying areas. In Arica, 86 miles from the epicenter, hospitals are treating patients for minor injuries. About 90 percent of the town's residents are without electricity, and some adobe homes have been destroyed.
The country's emergency office announced that the tsunami watch will stay in effect for six hours; the earthquake triggered a small tsunami earlier in the night. "We regard the coastline of Chile as still dangerous, so we're maintaining the warning," Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, tells the AP.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
More than 10 intense aftershocks followed the 8.2 temblor, including one with a 6.2 magnitude. Seismologists say it's likely that more aftershocks will hit, and an even bigger earthquake could also occur.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
What to know when filing a hurricane insurance claim
The Explainer A step-by-step to figure out what insurance will cover and what else you can do beyond filing a claim
By Becca Stanek Published
-
How fees impact your investment portfolio — and how to save on them
The Explainer Even seemingly small fees can take a big bite out of returns
By Becca Stanek Published
-
Enemy without
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Exodus begins from Burning Man after desert mud trapped tens of thousands
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
American Airlines suing website that offers tickets via price loopholes
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Federal agencies investigating near miss between Southwest jet and private plane
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies at 70
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Trader Joe's recalls 4 products in a week amid reports of rocks and insects inside food
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Emmys to be postponed for first time since after 9/11 due to strikes
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published