Chile earthquake Nov 2019
© Twitter/CucutaDenunciaLarge crowds of Chilean anti-austerity protesters received a shock after the magnitude 6.0 quake struck.

A magnitude-6.0 quake has struck near the coastal city of Coquimbo in central Chile, the US Geological Survey says, causing building to shake in capital city Santiago but no damage.

The quake, reported earlier by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) as a magnitude of 6.0, struck near the coast some 143 km northeast of port city Valparaiso, at a depth of 49km on Monday, the USGS said.

Chile's national emergency office said there were no preliminary reports of injuries to people or damage to property or infrastructure.

The quake, which struck on land, was not strong enough to produce a tsunami along Chile's coast, the nation's navy said.

Mining firm Antofagasta Plc, whose Pelambres copper mine is near the epicenter of the quake, said the mine was operating normally.


When the quake hit, police in Santiago were dispersing protesters at the start of the third week of anti-austerity protests targeting the conservative government.



Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

The 9.5-magnitude 1960 Valdivia earthquake was the strongest ever recorded on the magnitude scale, according to the USGS.

In 2010 an 8.8-magnitude followed by a tsunami killed more than 500 people.

Chile lies on the Ring of Fire - an arc of fault lines that circles the Pacific Basin and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

AFP-SBS-AAP