Akhir 1432 H. / 11 March 2011, SPA -- Chilean authorities on Friday evacuated coastal areas on Easter Island ahead of a possible tsunami after an 8.9- magnitude quake off Japan, reported the dpa. "The government made the decision for a preventive evacuation of Easter Island. No other area in the country will be evacuated," Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said. He said the decision was made hours in advance, so that the 4,500 people affected can be calmly taken to safety at Mataveri airport. The airport is currently not operational due to maintenance work, but it was deemed a safe area due to its elevation 47 metres above sea level, Chilean Public Works Minister Hernan de Solminihac said. Hinzpeter said that the Navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service estimated that waves of up to 2 metres could hit Chile's coasts. Once the waves hit Easter Island in Polynesia, estimated around 2100 GMT, authorities planned to evaluate measures to be adopted on the Chilean mainland, where any tsunami would start arriving around 0200 GMT Saturday. Locals on Easter Island, however, remained relatively calm.
