SANTIAGO, Chile—On Tuesday morning, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit off the coast of northern Chile and was felt in several provinces of neighboring Argentina, but there were no early reports of damage and authorities indicated there was no tsunami risk.
The earthquake hit at 9:33 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred at 12:33 p.m. local time (12:33 p.m. GMT), and its epicenter was 42 kilometers (26 miles) southwest of Huasco, a city in Chile's Atacama region. The depth of the quake was 35 kilometers (22 miles).
The Chilean national emergency office reported no damage or injuries, and the Chilean navy ruled out the prospect of a tsunami.
According to local media accounts, the quake was felt in numerous regions in neighboring Argentina, including western Mendoza and San Juan regions, which border Chile, as well as central Cordoba Province.
Chile is positioned in the Pacific's so-called "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes. A magnitude 8.8 earthquake and ensuing tsunami killed 526 people in 2010.
