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Major earthquake shakes Chile, but no damage reported

By Mike Bambach
No major damage reported after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of central Chile on Monday. Image courtesy U.S. Geographical Survey
No major damage reported after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of central Chile on Monday. Image courtesy U.S. Geographical Survey

April 24 (UPI) -- A major earthquake shook the west coast of central Chile on Monday, but no major damage was reported.

The quake, off the resort city of Valparaiso, initially registered a magnitude of 7.1 revised down to 6.9, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

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An order to evacuate coastal areas was rescinded after authorities ruled out the possibility of a tsunami.

Chile, which lies on an arc of fault lines that circles the Pacific Basin, is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2015, an 8.3 quake followed by a tsunami killed 15 people in the northern part of the country.

In 2010, an 8.8 quake followed by a tsunami killed more than 500 people in the center and southern parts of the country.

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