Earthquake strikes off Chile's southern coast, sparking tsunami threat

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chile's SENAPRED disaster agency said a coastal area of Magallanes region in the southern tip of the country should be evacuated due to the risk of a tsunami.

"We're calling to evacuate the coast in the whole region of Magallanes," President Gabriel Boric said on X, adding that all the states resources would be made available to deal with any impact.

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.

SENAPRED said it was establishing a state of precaution, an alert associated with minor tsunamis.

Llamamos a evacuar borde costero en toda región de Magallanes. En estos momentos nuestro deber es prevenir y hacer caso a autoridades. COGRID regional y nacional están comenzando. Todos los recursos del Estado están a disposición. https://t.co/2qAA3TGEcN

— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) May 2, 2025