 "View of Puerto Williams, Chile, on January 9, 2024. Chilean authorities issued a tsunami warning for the country's southernmost region on the morning of May 2, 2025, after a major 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck in the Drake Passage. Source: AFP")
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off the coast of southern Argentina on Friday (May 2), triggering a tsunami alert.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred just before 9 am ET (6:30 pm IST)—near Drake Passage, about 219 kilometres south of Ushuaia, Argentina.
Shortly after the earthquake, authorities issued a tsunami warning for coastal regions within 300 kilometres of the epicentre, including southern Argentina and Chile.
Chilean authorities have also issued a tsunami warning.
“We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region,” President Gabriel Boric posted on X after an alert from the SENAPRED emergency service, which also ordered evacuations in the nearby Antarctic areas.
The US Tsunami Warning System cautioned that “hazardous waves” were possible and urged residents in vulnerable areas to move inland or seek higher ground immediately.
The estimated time of arrival for the first wave in Puerto Williams, Chile, was listed as 18:55 UTC (12:25 am Saturday IST). Officials warned that the first wave might not be the largest, urging continued vigilance.
Videos circulating online showed tsunami sirens blaring in Puerto Williams and residents evacuating to safer areas.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAuthorities are advising local governments to implement emergency procedures and keep the public informed as the situation develops.
History of deadly earthquakes in Chile
Chile experiences a high number of earthquakes. This is because it sits where three of Earth’s massive plates meet: the Nazca plate, the South American plate, and the Antarctic plate.
In 1960, the city of Valdivia, in the south of Chile, suffered immense destruction from a very powerful earthquake. It measured 9.5 in magnitude, making it the strongest earthquake ever recorded worldwide, and tragically resulted in the deaths of around 9,500 people.
More recently, in 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile. This quake also caused a tsunami and sadly led to the deaths of over 520 people.
(With inputs from agencies)