Red alert declared in coastal communities due to “tsunami threat” after 8.1 earthquake in New Zealand

After Onemi declared a yellow alert in the afternoon for all the communes on the country’s coastline, after the 8.1 earthquake that affected New Zealand, tonight the agency under the Ministry of the Interior decreed a red alert.

According to evaluations of the Shoa, during the afternoon a Caution Status for the coasts of Chile, which indicates, according to Onemi, a “possibility of a minor tsunami” as a result of the earthquake.

“In accordance with the Onemi – Shoa protocol in force, a State of Precaution of the national coastal border was declared, including insular territory, Onemi declares a Yellow Alert for the communes of the national coastal border, including insular territory, due to the threat of tsunami, effective as of today and until the conditions warrant it, “said Onemi through a statement.

The state of Caution it is determined when there is a probability that a smaller tsunami will be generated (between 30 centimeters and 1 meter). The instruction is to get away from the beach area, that is to say at least 80 meters from the coastline.

According to Onemi, “as it is an event generated in a far field, this tsunami of 30 cm to 1 meter approx. it could be received from 01:00 on Easter Island and 04:00 on the mainland ”.

The Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Delgado, He attended the Onemi offices where he headed the Emergency Operations Committee (COE).

After the meeting, the Secretary of State reported sending a text message to the population to proceed to evacuate the coastline, which would reach waves of between 30 centimeters and one meter during the early morning.