6.4 magnitude earthquake hits northern Chile

Santiago [Chile]: A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile on Friday, causing minor infrastructure damage and cutting power to over 20,000 people.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake hit at 1:15 p.m. local time (5:15 p.m. GMT) at a depth of 76 kilometers (47 miles). Its epicenter was located near the coast of the Atacama Desert.

While the quake was felt across several communities in the expansive Atacama Desert region, initial reports confirmed no immediate casualties.

Chile’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service said the earthquake’s characteristics did not meet the conditions necessary to generate a tsunami along the South American coast.

Miguel Ortiz, deputy director of Chile’s national disaster response service, Senapred, said the powerful earthquake caused “minor” infrastructure damage and power disruptions, leaving nearly 23,000 people without electricity.