The warning had been for parts of southernmost Magallanes region after quake that also struck off Argentina’s coast.
The Chilean authorities have downgraded an evacuation “red alert” after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina prompted concerns about a possible tsunami.
The Chilean National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred) had issued the alert on Friday for coastal areas in the country’s southernmost Magallanes region and its Antarctic territory due to the tsunami risk.
At a news conference later in the day, Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde said although the evacuation alert for the region was being downgraded, people were still advised to stay away from the beach and coastal regions.
In a post on its website, Senapred said hundreds of people had been evacuated from a handful of communities, including the town of Puerto Williams.
Videos on social media showed people calmly evacuating as sirens blared in the background.
The earthquake struck Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a depth of just 10km (six miles), the United States Geological Survey said.
Magallanes is Chile’s largest and southernmost region and one of its least populated. According to government figures, in 2017, the population was about 166,000 people.
Earlier, Chilean President Gabriel Boric said all the country’s resources were available to respond to the quake.
“We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region,” he wrote in a social media post. “At this time, our duty is to be prepared and heed the authorities.”
Chile’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) estimated that waves will reach bases in Antarctica and cities in Chile’s extreme south in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, in the Argentinian city of Ushuaia, considered the world’s southernmost, local authorities suspended all types of water activities and navigation in the Beagle Channel for at least three hours.
“The earthquake was felt primarily in the city of Ushuaia and, to a lesser extent, in towns across the province,” the local government reported. “In the face of these types of events, it is important to remain calm.”
