Santiago:
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Chile on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, although there were no initial reports of damage.
The USGS said the quake's epicentre was located 18 miles (29 kilometres) below the seabed, 82 miles (132 km) southwest of Antofagasta.
The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.0, struck at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Local emergency services said the tremor was felt strongly in the northern Atacama desert, and they were assessing whether it had caused any damage. The navy said it was not issuing a tsunami alert.
A spokesman for Chilean state copper producer Codelco said there were no reports of any damage at its mines in the area.
Chile, located on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, is prone to earthquakes and has strict building codes that limit damage when they occur.
The USGS said the quake's epicentre was located 18 miles (29 kilometres) below the seabed, 82 miles (132 km) southwest of Antofagasta.
The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.0, struck at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Local emergency services said the tremor was felt strongly in the northern Atacama desert, and they were assessing whether it had caused any damage. The navy said it was not issuing a tsunami alert.
A spokesman for Chilean state copper producer Codelco said there were no reports of any damage at its mines in the area.
Chile, located on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, is prone to earthquakes and has strict building codes that limit damage when they occur.
© Thomson Reuters 2015
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