Nations around the Pacific Ocean have been pounded by tsunami¹ waves triggered by a 8.8 magnitude earthquake in central Chile.

智利中部里氏8.8级地震发生之后，所触发的海啸巨浪击打着太平洋沿海各国家。

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Tsunami travel times: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Japan is the latest country to issue a warning, with waves of up to 3m (9ft) predicted（预示，预计） , and authorities have ordered the evacuation（疏散，撤离） of 10,000 people.

But in most areas the danger is thought to have passed.

There were few reports of major damage, but there were at least five deaths in Chile's Juan Fernandez island group.

The southern Chilean port of Talcahuano is also thought to have been badly hit.

Fishing boats there were thrown out of the water and port facilities（港口设备） damaged.

Warning systems have improved since the 2004 Indonesia quake sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.

Nations and regions affected³ by the Pacific "Ring of Fire" all sounded alerts, trying to estimate the anticipated（预期的，期望的） time of arrival of any tsunami following the earthquake, which struck at 0634 GMT.

Ordinary stormy day

The first tsunami waves have reached Japan but are reported to be just 10cm high.

Officials have warned that higher waves could follow and the alert remains⁴ in place.

The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says Japan has experienced many earthquakes of its own and is well prepared for disasters.

In 1960 about 140 people were killed by a tsunami in Japan after a major earthquake in Chile.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had warned of "widespread damage" following Saturday's quake, but later said waves were not as high as predicted.

A geophysicist（地球物理学者） at the centre, Gerard Fryer, told the BBC that the tsunami's impact was small because the earthquake occurred in shallow water.

The earthquake was "big enough to do significant damage, but not big enough to do anything large in the far field", he said.

However, large waves struck Chile's Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway⁵ into one inhabited area and killing⁶ five people. Several more are missing.

Two aid ships are reported to be on their way.

Part of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia were hit by a 4m (13ft) wave, but no casualties（人员伤亡） were reported, AFP news agency said.

In Tahiti, traffic was banned on roads less than 500m from sea, and residents on low-lying land were told to get to higher ground, but the first tsunami waves were smaller there, measuring only 36cm.

New Zealand warned waves up to 3m could hit the main North and South Islands plus outlying（边远的，无关的） islands, but there were no reports of casualties or major damage.