Latin America
10:04, 20-Jan-2019
Strong M6.7 earthquake hits Chile: 2 dead
Updated
17:43, 20-Jan-2019
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A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit the coast of north-central Chile on Saturday. Local officials have confirmed the death of two people in the quake after they both suffered heart attacks.
The tremor struck at 10:32 p.m. local time (0132 GMT) with a depth of 53 kilometers and an epicenter some 15 kilometers southwest of Coquimbo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It rattled buildings in the capital city of Santiago and was felt in Valparaiso, O'Higgins, as well as in Atacama and Coquimbo up north.
According to reports, more than 200,000 people in the region are suffering power outages. However, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile was the strongest ever recorded at magnitude 9.5 on the Richter scale.
(With inputs from AFP)
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