Chile Earthquake
An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck near the coast of Northern Chile on Tuesday.
It earlier showed the magnitude as 7. The quake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Two strong earthquakes, one of which measured 7.0, has struck off the coast of northern Chile, seismologists and residents say. No tsunami warnings have been issued.
The first earthquake struck at 12:09 a.m. on Tuesday and was centered about 40 kilometers northwest of Carrizal Bajo, a village in Atacama, or 113 km southwest of Copiapó. It was followed by an aftershock at 12:30 a.m.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the first earthquake measured 7.0 and struck at a depth of just 35 kilometers. The second earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3, according to Chile’s seismological agency.
Both earthquakes were felt along the coast, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. No tsunami warnings have been issued.
“Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin to member states. “No action is required.”
Copiapó #temblor pic.twitter.com/6JYxDPpIeh
— fcojavier2020 (@javs2020) September 1, 2020
Chile is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin which is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. A magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile in May 1960, killing thousands of people. It was the largest earthquake ever recorded.
