Hundreds of residents from the northern city of Arica participated in an earthquake and tsunami drill on Tuesday (October 23) in a coastal region often affected by seismic activity.br br Local residents evacuated homes and schools and were given instructions on procedure to follow in the event of a possible natural disaster.br br The exercise simulated the response to a potentially cataclysmic 9-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami.br br In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile and triggered a tsunami that devastated several coastal towns.