Santiago - Saba:
Chilean authorities announced the evacuation of approximately 1.4 million people from coastal areas as a precautionary measure in anticipation of a major tsunami triggered by a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of Russia.
Chilean Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde told reporters on Wednesday, after the first tsunami waves reached the country, that "nationally, the number (of evacuees) is estimated at approximately 1.4 million people."
He added that "this is perhaps the largest evacuation operation ever" carried out in the country.
No injuries or damage were immediately reported from the first tsunami waves, which struck Chile's nearly 4,000-mile (about 6,450 km) coastline.