Earthquake of 8.2 Magnitude Strikes Chile Sparking Tsunami Warning and Evacuations

A deadly 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile late Tuesday killing five people and displacing thousands. This massive quake has sparked a tsunami alert leading to evacuations of many along the Pacific coast.

The massive earthquake has damaged homes, triggered landslides, blocked highways and roads, according to media reports.

Centred under the Pacific Ocean 61 miles north-west of the city of Iquique, the quake jolted Chile at 8.46 p.m. The sirens and emergency warning prompted people to take to higher grounds. The first tsunami rush measured 2.5 metres and it led to the flooding of the low lying regions of Iquique, reports The Guardian.

The  Iquique airport control tower was also damaged in the quake. The Chilean navy reported the first big wave within 45 minutes of  the quake.

The dead included four men and a women who were caught under the rubble and one probably died of a cardiac arrest, Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said, reports NBC News.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was shallow at 12.5 miles below seabed and struck 100 km northwest of Iquique near the Peruvian border. An 'expanding tsunami warning' was issued along the coasts of Chile and Peru by the U.S. Pacific Warning Center, which was later cancelled, according to NBC News.

"It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts," said the center. "Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this possibility." 

Earthquakes are a common occurrence off Chile's coast. In 2010, central Chile was jolted with  a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that killed over 500 people and destroyed more than 220,000 homes.