8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Chile

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile Saturday, killing at least 78 people, according to AP report.


The quake hit some 325 kilometers southwest of the capital, Santiago, at a depth of 35 kilometers at 3:34 a.m. local time, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.


The epicenter was 115 kilometers from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, where more than 200,000 people live, reports said.


Chilean President Michele Bachelet said the death toll was at 78 and rising, and declared a "state of catastrophe," according to AP.


Chilean television showed images of destroyed buildings and damaged cars, with rubble-strewn streets. Bachelet said, "We have had a huge earthquake, with some aftershocks," she added "Despite this, the system is functioning. People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have."


The US Pacific Tsunami warnings issued over all Pacific nations, including South America, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.


A huge wave reached a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 660 kilometers off the Chilean coast, Bachelet said. There were no immediate reports of major damage there, she

added.


The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on May 22, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused damage to the west coast of the United States.