4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Chile

Santiago, An earthquake measuring 4.9 magnitude on the Richter scale struck Tuesday in the Atacama province in Chile. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said in a statement that the epicenter of the earthquake was 91 km from Vallenar city, located in the province, at a depth of 18.5 km. There have been no reports of material damage or human losses due to the earthquake so far. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake followed by tsunami waves struck central and southern Chile, killing 500 people. Chile is located along the Ring of Fire, an arc of rifts surrounding the Pacific Basin, where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Source: Qatar News Agency