Central Chile Hit By 5.3 Magnitude Earthquake - National Seismological Center

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2021) A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday in the central part of Chile, the National Seismological Center said.

The tremor was registered at 23:17 GMT at a depth of 33 kilometers (20.5 miles).

There are no immediate reports about any damages and victims caused by the earthquake. No tsunami alert has been declared.

Chile is located in a seismologically active zone, known as the Ring of Fire. The country particularly lies along the border between the South American and Nazca tectonic plates, whose movement sometimes causes powerful earthquakes.

An 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country on January 24, 1939, killing some 28,000 people and becoming the deadliest quake in the history of Chile.

On May 22, 1960, some 9.5 magnitude quake hit the city of Valdivia, leaving 1,000-7,000 people killed. The disaster, known as the Great Chilean earthquake, is one of the most powerful quakes ever recorded.