Strong earthquake hits Chile, no injuries reported

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Chile on Monday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

It hit in the Atacama desert approximately 31 kilometres from the town of Calama at a depth of about 100 kilometres (63 miles), the US agency said.

Chile’s National Disaster Prevention and Response Service said there was no risk of tsunami and no reports of injuries or serious damage.

Local media reported that the quake was felt in the regions of Arica, Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Atacama.

The broadcaster TVN showed images of goods crashing off supermarket shelves onto the floor.

This South American country is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone.

Chileans view quakes of less than 7.0 magnitude as being of little cause for concern.

Three tectonic plates converge within Chile’s territory: the Nazca, the South American, and the Antarctic plates.

In 1960, the southern city of Valdivia was devastated by a magnitude 9.5 earthquake, considered the most powerful ever recorded, which killed 9,500 people.

In 2010, an 8.8 magnitude quake off the coast of central Chile triggered a tsunami and left more than 520 dead.