(CNN Spanish) -
An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 was registered this Saturday in Antarctica and, although at the moment no damage or victims are reported, it has caused the evacuation of people in the Antarctic region, Chilean authorities confirmed.
The National Emergency Office (Onemi) reported in Twitter messages that the phenomenon occurred 216 kilometers northeast of the O'Higgins Base and that it requested "to leave the beach area of the Antarctic territory" due to a tsunami threat.
#SHOA indicates a 7.1 magnitude earthquake at 216 km NE of O'higgins Base, Chilean Antarctica, State of precaution.
ONEMI requests to leave the beach area of the Antarctic territory.
More information at https://t.co/Vo04utwsfH
- onemichile (@onemichile) January 23, 2021
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In another publication, Onemi indicated that an evacuation message that people received on their cell phones was actually only for the area of the Antarctic base.
"Our technicians are reviewing the failure of the SAE system," he said in relation to the Emergency Alert System that operates in the country.
ATTENTION.
We inform that message sent to cell phones corresponds to evacuation at the Antarctic base.
Our technicians are checking SAE system failure
- onemichile (@onemichile) January 24, 2021
The Office reiterated that no evacuation has been declared for the coast at the national level, but that it applies only to a beach area of the Antarctic territory.
For its part, the Chilean Air Force published on Twitter that "due to the tsunami warning issued, a preventive evacuation was carried out at the Antarctic Air Base."
"Our personnel are safe in a place of security without incident and the infrastructure is without observations," he added.
🔵 NOW:
Given the tsunami alert issued, a preventive evacuation was carried out at the Antarctic Air Base #FACh.
Our staff is safe in a safe place without incident and the infrastructure is without observations.
pic.twitter.com/EgMt1P3Nn8
- Chilean Air Force (@FACh_Chile) January 24, 2021
Antarctica
