6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Chile

shaheennews

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook Chile late Monday, rattling buildings in the capital in a time a big anti-government demonstration was under way.

The quake struck at an epicentre near the northern town of Illapel, the US Geological Survey said.

As strong and prolonged shaking was felt in the capital, Chile’s National Seismological Centre measured the quake at magnitude 6.1, revising down an earlier estimate of 6.3, according to AFP.

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 as it 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.

//Petra//