Japanese officials have downgraded their tsunami warnings after the Chile earthquake, reports said Sunday. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also lifted its warning for all Pacific nations after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile before dawn on Saturday, killing more than 300 people and affecting the lives of another 2 million. According to reports, officials have warned that a second round of stronger waves are likely to hit the island Sunday night and urged about 300 thousand households in the areas to stay away from their homes. Japan had evacuated about 640 thousand households from coastal areas. The quake triggered waves of 2 meters in French Polynesia and those of 1.5 meters in Hawaii, but no major damage from the waves were reported. More than 50 aftershocks followed the Chile earthquake, which was 700 to 800 times stronger than the one in Haiti last month. The U.S. Geological Survey or USGS noted that coastal Chile has a history of very large earthquakes.
Japan Meteorological Agency has reportedly said, "There is still a chance of a big tsunami coming ahead. If we look at the historical evidence, it might take several more hours." The Chile quake originated about 230 kilometers north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 - the largest earthquake worldwide in the last 200 years or more, when a tsunami struck the coasts of Hokkaido and the Sanriku region of Japan, leaving around 140 people dead or missing. At that time, the initial tsunami was small, but was followed by a larger one. The largest wave hit Japan was about 1.45 meters or nearly five feet, which is considerably smaller than the three meters, warned earlier. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reportedly said Sunday afternoon, "The government is asking people not to get close to the coastline. Please follow the instruction since there is a warning of tsunami with two or three meters, and that tall of tsunami could cause some damage."
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