The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that a Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Northern Chile on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 (Philippine Time).
According to its latest earthquake bulletin, the quake hit at a depth of 82 kilometers. The tremor is located at 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of the coastal city of Arica, which is near the border with Peru.
USGS states that a Magnitude 6 earthquake is characterized by the “Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken.”
Based on a report published by ABS-CBN News, it noted that Chile has been considered as one of most the earthquake-prone countries.
At least three jolts with the magnitude of more than eight (8) occurred in Chile for the past seven years.
The strongest quake ever recorded in Chile was in 1960 with 9.5 magnitude.
Chile is located on the Ring of Fire, which is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
In September 2015, at least 15 people were killed when an 8.3 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami hit the South American country.
Note: We will continue to monitor any incident regarding the earthquake in Chile and we will post an update here.