Tsunami warning in Chile after the New Zealand earthquake

(CNN) – After a series of Earthquakes near New ZealandThe National Emergency Office of the Chilean Ministry of the Interior and Public Security (Onemi) raised the tsunami alert level to red, according to a statement released Thursday evening.

Onemi and the Chilean Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) declared a “precautionary state” for the country’s coast, the statement said. The statement indicated that the “state of caution” refers to the possibility of a tsunami in coastal areas and may reach retaining walls and coastal roads.

The decision was made after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand, canceling an earlier announced yellow warning.

Subsequently, Onemi early this Friday rescinded the precautionary situation in the O’Higgins, Maule and Magallanes regions including Antarctica, Easter Island and San Felix Island. He said in a statement that the rest of the national territory is still in a state of precaution.

According to the tsunami.gov website, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico are also at risk from a tsunami.