Chile struck by 6.1 magnitude earthquake, US agency evaluates damage caused

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire” — where tectonic plates clash under the surface of the Pacific Ocean and spawn earthquakes and tsunamis.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck northern Chile on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. No tsunami warning was issued in the earthquake-prone South American nation.

Representational image: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook Chile (File photo/ HT Print)

The quake's epicentre was 104 kilometres southwest of San Pedro de Atacama, a small town on the edge of the northern desert near Chile's border with Bolivia, the United States Geological Survey reported.

The USGS said that the quake, at 12:21 pm local time, had a depth of 93 kilometres. Chile's national disaster agency deemed the earthquake to be of “medium intensity,” and it said it would keep evaluating for any potential damage. It said the quake did “not meet the conditions necessary to generate a tsunami" along the coast.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire” — the region running from Chile to Alaska where tectonic plates clash under the surface of the Pacific Ocean and spawn earthquakes and tsunamis.

Chileans still have painful memories of a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in 2010 that triggered a tsunami and killed 526 people. Since that disaster, Chilean authorities have sought to improve emergency procedures and fit buildings with shock-absorbing devices that can greatly reduce damage and prevent collapse.