The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports a shallow earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck off Chile’s coast today (Sunday). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said a tsunami is not expected. Earthquake monitoring body the USGS reported the quake was located 83 miles (134 km) west of Talca at a depth of 6.1 miles.
Chile, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has a long history of deadly quakes, including an 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast that triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.
Hundreds of people have reported feeling the quake.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports a person in Constitucion as saying: “Very strong movement”.
Another person in Concepcion told the centre: “[It was] very strong, long in time, and even after two minutes, the earth seemed to move.”
Videos posted to social media showed lights swinging as the quake hit.