Posted by
Defend America on Saturday, February 27, 2010 11:23:46 AM
Huge quake hits Chile; tsunami threatens Pacific
By EVA VERGARA, Associated Press Writer Eva Vergara, Associated Press Writer
–
12 mins ago
SANTIAGO,
Chile – A devastating magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Chile early
Saturday, shattering buildings and bridges, killing at least 78 people
and setting off a tsunami that threatened every nation around the Pacific Ocean — roughly a quarter of the globe.
Chilean TV showed devastating images of the most powerful quake to hit the country in a half-century: In the second city of Concepcion
trucks plunged into the fractured earth, homes fell, bridges collapsed
and buildings were engulfed in flames. Injured people lay in the
streets or on stretchers.
Many roads were destroyed and electricity and water were cut to many areas.
There
was still no word of death or damage from many outlying areas that were
cut off by the quake that struck at 3:34 a.m. (1:34 a.m. EST, 0634 GMT)
200 miles (325 kilometers) southwest of Santiago.
Experts warned that a tsunami could strike anywhere in the Pacific, and Hawaii could face its largest waves since 1964 starting at 11:19 a.m. (4:19 p.m. EST, 2119 GMT), according to Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake