6.2 Magnitude Quake Rattles Northern Chile: Report

An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook northern Chile Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey, but there was no tsunami alert and no immediate report of damage or injuries.

The powerful quake, at a depth of 135 kilometers (84 miles), hit at approximately 5:19 am (0819 GMT) with an epicenter about 67 kilometers southeast of the San Pedro de Atacama tourist zone, US seismologists said.

Chile's National Office of Emergency said the 'medium-intensity' quake was felt in the northern regions of Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Atacama.

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

The north of the country was struck by an 8.3 temblor followed by a tsunami in September 2015, killing 15 people. A coastal evacuation order had limited the number of casualties.

In 2010 another quake measuring 8.8, also followed by a tsunami, struck the center and south of the country, killing more than 500 people.