Magnitude 6.2 quake strikes Chile, no damage reported

SANTIAGO, Chile – A strong 6.2 earthquake struck Chile’s central region on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck about 34 miles (54 kilometres) southwest of Ovalle, Chile at 7:19 a.m. local time. The USGS said it was detected at a depth of 47 miles (76 kilometres).

The quake shook the capital of Santiago and other cities, causing buildings to sway. But Chile’s emergency services office said no damages to infrastructure were immediately reported and dismissed the possibility of a tsunami on the country’s long coast.

Chile is highly earthquake-prone. In 2010, a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, and the tsunami it unleashed, killed more than 500 people and destroyed more than 200,000 homes.