6.2-magnitude earthquake rattles northern Chile; no reports of victims, damage

Strong earthquake shakes northern Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile — A strong earthquake shook northern Chile on Friday, worrying a nation still rattled by last month’s megaquake. There were no victims or major damage, the national emergency agency said.

The 6.2-magnitude temblor struck just before noon and prompted some people to evacuate buildings. Emergency officials said some roads were affected by land and rock slides.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the epicenter of Friday’s quake was 380 miles (600 kilometers) away from the capital, Santiago.

It was also far north of the region where the Feb. 27 quake toppled buildings, cracked roads and sent a tsunami roaring ashore, causing at least 342 confirmed deaths and leaving many more missing.

Rodolfo Saragoni, a professor of seismic engineering at the University of Chile, said the northern part of the country has not experienced a major earthquake since 1868 and can likely expect one in the next decade or two.

USGS geophysicist Walter Mooney said recent earthquakes in Chile have not lowered the odds of a major seismic event.

“It’s a drop in the bucket,” he said. “It doesn’t help to release energy.”

Chile’s state-run copper company said its operations were not affected Friday.