On the 22nd of May, 1960, Chile experienced one of the largest earthquakes recorded to date. The earthquake struck 160km’s off the coast of Southern Chile parallel to the city of Valdivia at 7:11pm. The temblor was the cause of significant damage and loss of life in both Chile and distant Pacific coastal areas. It is believed that the earthquake had a magnitude of 9.5 following a series of foreshocks the previous day.
The earthquake was responsible for extreme destruction within Chile and caused nearly half of the buildings in Valdivia to be rendered uninhabitable. An 80feet high tsunami followed 15 minutes later killing hundreds of people in both Chile and the Hawaiian Islands.
The earthquake was responsible for extreme destruction within Chile and caused nearly half of the buildings in Valdivia to be rendered uninhabitable. An 80feet high tsunami followed 15 minutes later killing hundreds of people in both Chile and the Hawaiian Islands.