Chile Earthquake: Six Dead and Thousands Affected

World Today

Six people are dead and thousands were evacuated following Tuesday’s 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Chile. A small tsunami flooded portions of some coastal towns. The epicenter was off the coast of Iquique with the impact felt in Santiago and beyond. Chile President Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and travelled to Iquique to review the damage.She met with some of her cabinet ministers, regional and local authorities in Iquique.

A mandatory evacuation lasted for 10 hours in Iquique and Arica, the cities closest to the epicentre, keeping thousands of people from returning home to low-lying areas all night. Around 100 riot police officers were deployed in the town along with 300 soldiers to prevent looting and round up escaped prisoners. About 300 inmates escaped from a women’s prison in Iquique and several dozen have been captured, officials said. CCTV’s Joel Richards reports from Santiago with details.

Follow  Joel Richards on Twitter: @joel_richards 

Chile Earthquake: Six Dead and Thousands Evacuated

Six people are dead following Tuesday's 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Chile. A small tsunami flooded portions of some coastal towns and amid the chaos, hundreds of women escaped from a prison in the area. The epicenter was off the coast of Iquique with the impact felt in Santiago and beyond. CCTV's Joel Richards is reports from Santiago.