CNN tells us that a 6.7- magnitude earthquake hit Chile’s Pacific coast Sunday for their first earthquake of the year. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was felt within 60 kilometers with a depth of 20 kilometers.
Thankfully, there was only minor reported damage with no deaths; 100,000 people were directed to briefly evacuate coastal areas before the earthquake to prevent any major catastrophe if a consequential tsunami occurred.
The earthquake was also followed by a brief 5.1 tremor along with three 4.9 quakes.
The earthquake was initially reported as a 7.0 quake, which would have caused substantially more damage. So far, the only reported damage Chile has seen from the quake Sunday is some broken windows and two roadside rock falls. Chile’s precious copper mines were unscathed, and the mandatory evacuation was recalled close to three hours after the earthquake.
Chile is known to be a country with a high risk for earthquakes. The country’s worst recorded earthquake killed more than 5,000 people in 1960, and registered a whopping 9.5. The volatile landscape has also recently seen its share of tragic earthquakes; an 8.8 earthquake that caused a massive tsunami killed more than 500 people and destroyed over 200,000 homes in 2010. The commercial damage from the quake was also traumatic to the country’s economy as coastal resorts and docks were dismembered and washed away by the strong waves.
There are no reports of any upcoming earthquakes in the area in the near future. There are no specific times of the year for earthquakes to occur in any area, as the aforementioned earthquakes occurred in the months of May and October, respectively.
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