Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Strong Earthquake Rattles Chile: USGS
10/21/2010 4:43 AM ET
(RTTNews) - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake jolted central Chile late
Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there were no
immediate reports of damage to property or injuries and no tsunami
alert was issued.
The strong quake, which occurred at 9:49 p.m. local time (0249 GMT
Thursday), centered off the coast of Libertador O'Higgins in the
Pacific Ocean, 195 miles (315 kilometers) west-southwest of the capital
Santiago at a depth of 4 miles (6.7 kilometers), the USGS said. It
swayed buildings in Santiago and caused panic among residents.
The quake came just days after 33 miners, trapped 700 meters (2,300
feet) underground, after a cave-in on August 5 at the San Jose
gold-and-copper mine in the remote Atacama desert in northern Chile,
were dramatically rescued last week.
A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile in February, triggering
a huge tsunami that killed over 500 people and swept away villages,
causing an estimated $30 billion in damage. The nation was also hit by
a 6.9 magnitude tremor in March.
by RTT Staff Writer