A tsunami hits Chile following a powerful magnitude 8.2 earthquake

A six-foot tsunami hit Pisagua, Chile, on Tuesday night, following an estimated magnitude 8.2 earthquake off the coast; the epicenter was some 60 miles west-northwest of the port city of Iquique.

There is a tsunami warning in effect for all of coastal Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, and a tsunami watch for Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica. In Chile, evacuation orders have been given to residents of the low-lying cities of Iquique, Antofagasta, and Arica, and the government is suggesting all coastal residents seek higher ground.

The earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey says was 12.5 miles below the surface, is one of several that has shaken the area in recent weeks. --Catherine Garcia

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