6.4-magnitude quake jolts central Chile: USGS

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake has jolted central Chile, officials said, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities or serious damage.

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake has jolted central Chile, officials said, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities or serious damage.

The quake struck at 6:32pm local time on Saturday (12:02am IST, Sunday) about 108 kilometers (67 miles) northwest of the capital Santiago, at a depth of 35 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

The national emergency office ONEMI said the tremmor shook Santiago and five other regions in the South American nation.

More than five million people live in the capital, and the quake shook buildings for 30-40 seconds, causing panic even in a country used to quakes.

"There have been some power outages but no reports of damage to buildings or infrastructure... though this is still preliminary information," ONEMI chief Miguel Ortiz said.

The earthquake did not create a tsunami risk, according to the water and oceans service.

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, and is located in the so-called Ring of Fire area of the Pacific Ocean basin.

An 8.2-magnitude quake in northern Chile in April killed six people and forced a million to leave their homes in the region around Iquique.

It killed more than 500 people and inflicted an estimated $30 billion in damages.