Earthquake in Chile

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the coastal nation of Chile on Saturday, killing a reported 147 people in the process and setting off a rolling tsunami in the pacific ocean.

The quake, which struck the nation slightly after 3:30 a.m., was concentrated about 70 miles from the Chilean city of Concepcion. According to Reuters, the earthquake massively affected the city, overturning cars and collapsing phone and electrical lines. A 15-story building reportedly collapsed as well.

Santiago, the capital of Chile, was about 200 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter and was also affected substantially. According to Reuters, the country’s international airport, located in Santiago, was closed for 24 hours due to the affects of the quake.

Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera said in a statement that 147 deaths could be attributed to the effects of the earthquake so far. The current President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, expects that the number could rise substantially. However, one emergency worker told Reuters that the number of deaths is not likely to radically increase.

In addition to the damage that the earthquake caused in Chile, it also caused many pacific nations to post tsunami warnings. Reuters reported that Japan, Hawaii and coastal Russia were among those affected.

Many of the copper mines that Chile is well known for were closed due to the earthquake. However, no substantial damage to the mining operations was reported by any of mining companies.

President Obama contacted Bachelet shortly after the earthquake hit, offering aid and supplies to the affected nation.

Earthquake in Ryushu, Japan

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the Ryushu Island, off the coast of Japan on Friday morning at 5:31am (20:31 UTC). A tsunami warning had been put in place. The precaution was cancelled later. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no "destructive threat" from the tsunami. At its center, the depth of the earthquake had been measured at ten kilometers (6.2 miles).

At 5:57am local time (20:57 UTC), the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a ten centimetre (four inch) tsunami Nanjou, Okinawa. Initially the agency had predicted that the depth of the tsunami would be three feet (one metre). There were no reports of damage, although, according to the Agency, "there may be slight sea level changes from now on."

The islands were advised to evacuate from the seashore were Okinawa Islands, Amami Islands and Tokara Islands. Ivan Brackin, a resident of Yoron Islands, described his experience of the earthquake. "I woke up to violent shudders that lasted about six seconds then a pause followed by a couple of sharp jumps," he stated. "Jumpers are the most dangerous so that sent me under the desk."