A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit north-central Chile on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, with police reporting the deaths of two people from heart attacks. The quake struck at a depth of 53 kilometers with an epicenter some 15 km southwest of Coquimbo, USGS said.

An elderly man and an elderly woman from Coquimbo suffered cardiac arrests as a result of the quake, police said, while there were several landslides reported on national highways. The earthquake, which hit at 0132 GMT (Sunday), was felt in Valparaiso, O'Higgins and the region of the capital Santiago, as well as in Atacama and Coquimbo up north.

Thousands of homes lost power, which showed how intense the quake was, according to Ricardo Toro of the National Emergency Office. Residents in Coquimbo and neighboring Serena, a coastal region about 500 kilometers from Santiago, evacuated to high ground even though authorities quickly ruled out a tsunami, according to local media.

The Coquimbo region experienced a tsunami in September 2015 after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck, killing a dozen people. Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile was the strongest ever recorded, at 9.5, on the magnitude scale, according to the USGS. Chile lies on the Ring of Fire -- an arc of fault lines that circles the Pacific Basin and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

(With inputs from agencies.)</s>Damage has been reported after a strong magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck near Coquimbo in central Chile, prompting a tsunami warning that was canceled a short time later, officials say.

The quake prompted a tsunami warning that was canceled a short time later.

Damage has been reported at a number of locations. Two people reportedly died after suffering heart attacks, according to Reuters.



The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) downgraded the magnitude of the earthquake from a 6.8 to a 6.7.

Damage was reported in La Serena, Chile after the strong earthquake.

Aftershocks continue to rattle the region with magnitudes varying from 4.0 to 4.5.</s>SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A 6.7-magnitude earthquake has shaken cities on Chile’s northern coast. No damages have been reported so far, but Chile’s National Emergency Office ordered a preventative evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo.

Chilean authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also ruled out a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the magnitude-6.7 quake was 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and had a depth of 53 kilometers. It struck at 7:32 p.m. local time.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook cities and towns on Chile’s northern coast late Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of damages.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and it had a depth of 53 kilometers.

Chile’s National Emergency Office preventatively ordered the evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo but later called it off.

Authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also discarded a tsunami threat.

The quake was felt strongly in northern Chile, where buildings swayed, according to social media and press reports.

Chile’s seismological service put the strength of the quake at magnitude 6.8.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people and left 26 missing.</s>The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook cities and towns on Chile’s northern coast late Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Chile’s National Emergency Office preventatively ordered the evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo but later called it off. Authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the magnitude-6.7 quake was 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and it had a depth of 53 kilometers. It struck at 7:32 p.m. local time.

Chile’s seismological service put the strength of the quake at magnitude 6.8. It was felt strongly in northern Chile, according to social media and press reports.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people and left 26 missing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>A magnitude-6.7 earthquake has struck off the coast of Chile.

The epicentre of the strong quake was located 15 km from the port city of Coquimbo, at a depth of 53 km, , according to the US Geological Survey which monitors worldwide seismic activity.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued.

Chile is a quake-prone country. A magnitude-7.8 quake claimed the lives of 28,000 people in 1939.

The largest earthquake ever measured - magnitude-9.5 - also occurred in Chile, killing 1,655 people in 1960.</s>A strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of north-central Chile on Saturday evening.

Local government officials said that two people have died as a result of the quake.

The quake struck at 10:32 pm local time with a depth of 53 kilometres and an epicentre some 15 kilometres southwest of Coquimbo.

It rattled buildings in the capital city of Santiago and was felt in Valparaiso, O'Higgins, as well as in Atacama and Coquimbo up north.

A tsunami warning was initially issued, but cancelled shortly afterwards.</s>Chile’s National Emergency Office preventatively ordered the evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo but later called it off. Authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami.

SANTIAGO, CHILE—A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook cities and towns on Chile’s northern coast late Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the magnitude-6.7 quake was 15.6 kilometres (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and it had a depth of 53 kilometres. It struck at 7:32 p.m. local time.

Chile’s seismological service put the strength of the quake at magnitude 6.8. It was felt strongly in northern Chile, according to social media and press reports.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people and left 26 missing.</s>A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit the coast of north-central Chile on Saturday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with authorities reporting as many as 200,000 without power and two people dead of heart attacks.

The quake struck at 10:32 p.m. about 16 km (10 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, the USGS said. The quake, measured 53 km (33 miles) below the surface, shook homes, caused landslides in the region's mountainous terrain and initially prompted authorities to begin a mass evacuation of coastal areas ahead of a potential tsunami.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, however, quickly ruled out that threat.

An elderly man and woman died of cardiac arrest thought to be associated with the earthquake, according to police and local media reports.

The quake also knocked out a major power station, but electricity was restored to most of the region overnight.

A witness reported minor damage to older buildings in the coastal city of La Serena, a popular Pacific coast beach town about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Santiago.

"It felt very strong... The tourists were very nervous, but nothing serious happened," Camila Castillo, a receptionist at a hotel in La Serena, told Reuters.

Chilean miner Antofagasta Plc said operations were normal at its Los Pelambres copper mine.

Chile, located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", has a long history of deadly quakes, including a 8.8 magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast that triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.

But death and destruction tend to be limited due to the adoption of strict construction codes.</s>A tsunami warning was initially issued but quickly cancelled. The quake hit at 10:32pm local time (1:32am GMT) and was centred just off the coast. The epicenter was about 15km (9.3miles) southwest of Coquimbo, which is a major port in the region of the same name.

It hit at a depth of 53km (33miles), meaning it was relatively shallow. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude of the shake was 6.7 on the Richter Scale. The initial tsunami warning for the Coquimbo Region was issued by the National Office of Emergencies. Damage has been reported at several locations, but there was no immediate news of any casualties.

The quake was felt strongly in northern Chile, where buildings swayed according to social media reports. According to ONEMI Director Ricardo Toro, more than 200,000 people in the area were suffering power outages. Footage from locals showed crowds of people evacuating and even people running carrying children during the brief tsunami warning. Chile is situated on the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’, where the earth’s tectonic plates meet and rub against each other.

This area of the world is where the majority of earthquakes take place and where volcanic eruptions occur more frequently. Chile suffered the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded in 1960, when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck of the coastline. Thousands of people were killed in the destruction that followed. In 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and the resultant tsunai killed 525 people and left 26 missing.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile. Light damage is reported and thousands of homes lose power.