MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

No injuries or damages reported as strong quake hits Strait of Magellan region

Some 1,100 people were evacuated in Puerto Williams

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale struck the Drake Passage Friday, triggering a tsunami warning for Chile's Magallanes region and Antarctic Territory. Chile and neighboring Argentina carried out preventive evacuations, relocating thousands from coastal areas. Shortly after, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake hit Puerto Williams, followed by a 6.1 aftershock in the Strait of Magellan. Chilean authorities later downgraded the tsunami alert but suspended maritime activities. No injuries or damages were reported, and both countries continue to monitor the situation, urging residents to remain in safe zones.

The shallow quake, at a depth of 10 km, led to preventive evacuations in Chile and Argentina's Tierra del Fuego. In Chile, over 1,700 people were evacuated from coastal areas, including 1,000 from Puerto Williams, 500 from Puerto Natales, and 32 from Antarctic bases. Argentina evacuated around 2,000 people from its coastline, and authorities suspended navigation in the region for three and a half hours. Both countries continue to monitor the situation, with residents advised to stay in safe, elevated areas.

“We call to evacuate the coastal edge in the Magallanes region. At this time, our duty is to prevent and heed the authorities. Regional and national COGRID are starting. All state resources are available,” Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font posted on social networks. COGRID stands for Committee for Disaster Risk Management (Comité para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres, in Spanish). It coordinates the response to emergencies and natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. In critical situations, both the regional and national COGRID are activated to manage resources and make quick decisions.

Puerto Williams Mayor Jaime Fernández Alarcón reported the preventive evacuation of approximately 1,100 people in his town.

“Due to the threat of a tsunami, [it is] requested to evacuate the beach area of the Antarctic Territory, Magallanes Region,” Chile's National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred) announced early Friday. Hours after the tremor, the warning was downgraded from “alarm” to “caution” in coastal areas. “If in the course of the day, the alert changes from precaution to alarm again, the preventive evacuation will be requested again,” Senapred Director Alicia Cebrián explained.

She added that all sea activities were halted until further notice. “The population is requested to act calmly and follow the instructions of the authorities and emergency teams,” the Senapred insisted. People should “remain evacuated in the safety zone,” Senapred's Deputy Director of Emergency Management Miguel Ortiz also warned.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was recorded with a magnitude of 7.4 and a depth of 10 kilometers, located in the waters between the extreme south of Chile and Argentina. The proximity of the epicenter to the Chilean coast was decisive for the activation of the tsunami warning.

In Argentina, the earthquake was felt primarily in Ushuaia, with other towns affected “to a lesser extent,” the Office of the Governor of Tierra del Fuego said.