Powerful earthquake hits off Chile's coast, evacuation ordered

Chile, Sep 17 (ANI): A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile shaking buildings in the capital city of Santiago and generating a tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and French Polynesia. Chile's government urged residents to evacuate the coastline. The mayor of Illapel, which is near the epicentre, said on a radio broadcast that a 26-year-old woman had been killed by a collapsing wall, and 15 others were reported injured. The quake hit just 46 km (28 miles) from Illapel, leaving the city 210 km (130 miles) north of Santiago without electricity or drinking water. People fled their damaged homes and poured into the streets, the mayor said. Witnesses said the quake was felt as far away as the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, on the eastern seaboard of South America. Waves triggered by the earthquake began hitting Chile's coastline, with reports of flooding of streets near the ocean.