Earthquake of 7.1 magnitude in Chile, hundreds of people evacuated

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile's Pacific coast area, forcing hundreds of people in the country's Easter Island to evacuate. There are no reports of human damage yet.

>>>Chile suffers more than 300 earthquakes in a week

Photo: cbslocal.com

The earthquake happened on October 9 (Vietnam time), about 580km south of Easter Island, and has an epicenter at a depth of 15.5km.

According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude of the 7.1 Richter scale of the earthquake is equivalent to the 7.2 Richter level used by seismologists in Chile.

With this intensity, local authorities have forced evacuation of about 350 people living in areas lower than sea level on Easter Island, preventing bad cases of tsunamis.

Easter Island of Chile is located in the South Pacific. The island is famous for 900 face stone statues located along the coast, often called "moai".

In 1995, these stone statues were listed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Science, Education and Culture Organization (UNESCO).