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6.4 Magnitude Quake Shakes Chile

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the southcentral coast of Chile on Wednesday in an area hit by a major temblor last year, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The tremor caused panic in some communities but there were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage, and there were no tsunami warnings from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.

USGS said the quake struck at 1255 GMT off the coast of the Bio Bio region and some 96 kilometers west of the city of Concepcion, which was badly damaged in a deadly 8.8-magnitude quake that struck Chile on February 27, 2010.

A moderate 5.4-magnitude aftershock followed about 50 minutes after Wednesday's quake, which occurred at a depth of 15 kilometers.

"There have been no reports of injuries, disruption of basic services or damage to infrastructure as a result of this earthquake," the national office of emergencies Onemi reported.

According to news reports, people panicked in the coastal town of Lebu, just seven kilometers from the epicenter, and residents ran from their homes.

Fears remain fresh from last year's quake, which was followed by a tsunami that raked coastal communities. That disaster killed at least 524 people, left 220,000 homeless and caused an estimated $30 billion in damage.

Source: Agence France Presse


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