6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Chilean coast, tremors felt in Santiago
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck 100 kilometers (62 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, Chile, the US Geological Survey is reporting.
The quake woke residents in the Chilean capital, Santiago, 300 kilometers away, Reuters reported.
There had at first been a warning of a small tsunami issued by Chile's navy, but it was quickly withdrawn.
Power outages have been reported on social media.
Prelim M6.8 earthquake near the coast of Coquimbo, Chile Nov-7 07:31 UTC, updates https://t.co/YCrm7t19oV
— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) November 7, 2015The quake came shortly after another one measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale.
The quakes’ epicenters were 12 kilometers and 14 kilometers deep, respectively.
USGS reports a M5.8 #earthquake 108km WNW of Coquimbo, Chile on 11/7/15 @ 7:04:31 UTC https://t.co/ZCE0vUax6v#quake
— Every Earthquake (@everyEarthquake) November 7, 2015The earlier quake struck about 108 kilometres northeast of Coquimbo, according to the US Geological Survey.
No injury or damages have been reported so far.
"The situation in the region of the epicenter is now in a state of normality,'' Ricardo Toro, the head of the emergency services, said in a press conference, cited by AP.
A deadly 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck Chile in September, forcing over 1 million people to evacuate, triggering tsunami warnings in California and Hawaii. At least 15 people were killed.
Chile has a long history of major quakes, including the strongest recorded in recent history. At least 1,655 people were killed and 3,000 injured in the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960.
