Quake hits Chile

A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off central Chile’s coast yesterday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage and authorities ruled out the possibility of a tsunami. The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred in the Pacific about 35km west of the port city of Valparaiso. Buildings swayed in Santiago, the capital, 115km to the east. The USGS revised the quake’s magnitude down from an initial reading of 7.1. Chile is earthquakeprone. A devastating 8.8-magnitude quake and the tsunami it unleashed in 2010 killed more than 500 people. It was among the strongest ever recorded.