No tsunami alerts or warnings for west coast following powerful quake in Chile

TORONTO – No tsunami warnings have been posted along the west coast of North America following a powerful earthquake off the coast of Chile.

The magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck off Chile’s northern coast Tuesday night prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a tsunami alert for all of Latin America’s Pacific coast.

But the National Tsunami Warning Center said no similar alerts or warnings have been issued for the continental U.S., Canada, Alaska or Puerto Rico.

In Ottawa, the Foreign Affairs Dept., has issued an advisory warning against non-essential travel to the entire coastline of Chile.

It advises any Canadians who are in the region to follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local news.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck 99 kilometres northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique in a region rocked by numerous recent quakes.

In the Chilean city of Arica, the mayor had reported some minor injuries and said some homes made of adobe were destroyed.

The quake also shook buildings in nearby Peru and in Bolivia’s high altitude capital of La Paz.

_ with files from The Associated Press