Shallow Quake Rattles Southern Chile

A shallow earthquake shook the southern Chilean city of Concepcion on Wednesday, five years after a quake and subsequent tsunami hit the same area killing more than 500 people.

Chile's National Seismological Center said the latest quake struck at 3:27 pm (1827 GMT), with its epicenter in the town of Cobquecura, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of the capital Santiago.

It put the earthquake at 6.3 magnitude, but the United States Geological Survey said it was 5.3 magnitude, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.

Chile's National Emergency Office said in an initial report that there were no casualties or major damage and the quake did not create a tsunami risk.

TV showed people evacuated from buildings in Concepcion and reported some problems with phone lines.

The February 27, 2010 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile just north of Concepcion. It measured 8.8 magnitude, making it one of the largest ever recorded.

It triggered a tsunami that devastated several coastal towns, killing more than 500 people and inflicting an estimated $30 billion in damages.

Chile is one of the most seismically volatile countries on Earth.

Last April an 8.2-magnitude quake shook the northern city of Iquique, killing six people and forcing about one million to evacuate. It was followed by a 7.6-magnitude aftershock the next day, forcing thousands to evacuate again.