The 2015 Illapel earthquake occurred 46 km (29 mi) offshore Illapel, Chile on September 16 at 19:54:33 Chile Standard Time with a moment magnitude of 8.3. It was caused by thrust faulting along the boundary between the Nazca and South American plates.Four aftershocks have taken place so far.
The Chilean government reported 5 casualties. Another 20 people were injured. Tsunami watches, warnings, and advisories were issued in Ecuador, Peru, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Hawaii and California. A wave 4.5 m (15 ft) high was observed along the coast of Coquimbo and the cities of Coquimbo, Tongoy and Concón reported flooding. Chilean authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of the coast due to tsunami risk. The undersecretary for the ministry of the interior and public security reported that the evacuation affected one million people across the country. The evacuation order was later cancelled.
Illapel, an inland city of some 30,000 residents, was reported immediately to be without electricity or drinking water. Tall buildings swayed and car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires, 1,110 km away.
Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries of the planet. In 2014, an 8.2-magnitude quake struck near the city of Iquique. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake brought massive devastation to Central Chile, killing over 500 people and costing the country's economy an estimated US$15–30 billion.
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