Five killed, One missing in Chile’s massive earthquake

At least five people have lost their lives in a massive 8.3-magnitude earthquake in the South American country of Chile.

Chile’s Deputy Interior Minister Mahmoud Aleuy announced the death toll early on Thursday hours after the earthquake struck the country. He added that one person has gone missing and that one million people have been evacuated from their homes following the temblor.

The powerful earthquake rocked the central coast of Chile at 7:54 pm local time (2254 GMT) on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami alert.

The epicenter of the huge seismic activity was about 228 kilometers (some 140 miles) northwest of the capital, Santiago, at a depth of 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) in the Pacific Ocean, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The preliminary quake was followed by two powerful aftershocks measuring 6.2 and 6.2, the USGS said.