Ricardo Toro, National Head of the Emergency Office in Chile (ONEMI) informed that “no human losses have been reported so far” after the two-minute 7.6 Richter quake that affected five regions in southern Chile earlier today.
Local authorities issued an early tsunami warning, as well as the immediate mandatory evacuation of people from coastal southern regions of Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos, Los Ríos and Aysén.
Toro noted that the quake’s epicenter was located 41 miles northeast of Melinka, in the Aysén region, and produced a breakage in the Quellón highway, some 798 miles from capital city of Santiago de Chile, as well as minor damage in secondary roads and partial power outages.
The Mexican ambassador to Chile, Rubén Beltrán G., informed that his office remains alert and “wishes that no human losses be produced by the quake”, he also urged all fellow nationals in Chile to follow the instructions of Chilean authorities and expressed his solidarity to Chilean people via twitter: “Our solidarity goes to all the people affected by the quake early today in #Chiloé, #LosLagos and other regions. @EmbaMexChi remains alert. An embrace of solidarity to all our Chilean brothers in the regions of #LaAraucanía, #LosLagos, #LosRíos and other affected regions”.
The Mexican embassy in Chile has made a hotline available, via twitter, for all fellow nationals requiring assistance in the South American country: “The hotline for consular emergencies for Mexican fellow nationals in Chile is +56 9 9682 3061, we urge everyone to follow the instructions of Chilean authorities”.
Se informa que el teléfono para emergencia consular d mexicanos es +56 9 9682 3061 y se recomienda seguir instrucciones de las autoridades. https://t.co/uhXjMkGOE7
— Embamex Chile (@EmbaMexChi) 25 de diciembre de 2016