8.3-magnitude Chile earthquake: Is this another sign of the coming apocalypse?
The Book of Revelations warns Christians about the signs of the coming Apocalypse. In Revelations 6:12, it is stated: "I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood."
The expected "Blood Moon" on Sept. 28 has so far attracted public attention and fuelled fears of an impending doom. Now, another event seemed to point once again to the end of times—the 8.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Thursday last week, leaving at least 11 people dead.
The earthquake was so powerful that it sent tsunami waves as far as Japan. The coastal Chilean town of Coquimbo, which has been placed under a state of emergency, was hit by tsunami waves almost five metres in height.
The tsunami waves toppled street signs, washed away vehicles, and left most areas in rubble.
Hundreds of people are still staying in temporary shelters days after the quake, and tens of thousands still do not have electricity. More than 500 houses were seriously damaged by the disaster.
Around a million Chileans also had to leave their homes after a tsunami alert was sounded due to the powerful earthquake. Most have already returned to their houses.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who visited Coquimbo after the earthquake, said the death toll, while unfortunate, was not very high considering the strength of the earthquake." The tremor was also felt while thousands of Chileans were travelling in preparation for their independence day.
Residents in central Chile have also begun clearing up their respective areas in the earthquake's aftermath.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake's epicentre was located off the coast of Coquimbo, 29 miles west of the city of Illapel. This was Chile's sixth most powerful quake on record.