Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes off the coast of Chile

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday morning and was felt in several provinces of neighbouring Argentina, but there were no immediate reports of damage and authorities said there was no tsunami risk.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 9.33 am local time (12:33 p.m. GMT), and its epicenter was 42 kilometres (26 miles) southwest of Huasco, a city in Chile’s Atacama region. The quake had a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles).

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Chile’s national emergency office did not report any damages or injuries, and the Chilean navy dismissed the possibility of a tsunami.

The quake was felt in several provinces in neighbouring Argentina, including western Mendoza and San Juan provinces, which border Chile, as well as central Cordoba province, according to local media reports.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific and experiences frequent earthquakes. In 2010, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake and subsequent tsunami claimed 526 lives.

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