WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A strong 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck Chile's central-north region on Wednesday evening, prompting the government emergency office to ask residents to evacuate coastal areas following a tsunami warning.
The earthquake hit 34 miles outside Illapel, in the region of Coquimbo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami could be destructive, estimating the earliest arrival in Hawaii at 2:28 a.m. local time.
Chile has a long history of massive earthquakes, including the 2010 8.8-magnitude Maule earthquake in central Chile, which ruptured a ~400 km long section of the plate boundary south of this 2015 event . This subducton zone also hosted the largest earthquake on record, the 1960 9.5- magnitude earthquake in southern Chile. Over the century prior to the September 16, 2015 earthquake, the region within 400 km of this event has hosted 15 other 7+ magnitude earthquakes.
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