No material damage caused by the 5.1 earthquake at La Serena

The National Seismological Center announced that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake had occurred today in the Coquimbo and Atacama regions of northern Chile, without causing any casualties nor doing property damage, as well as an alert as to the possibility of causing a tsunami. from the University of Chile.

According to official reports, the quake was felt at 15:06 (18:06 GMT) and its epicenter was located 23 kilometers northwest of the town of La Serena and 472 kilometers north of Santiago.

Its hypocenter was 44.5 km deep, the EFE news agency reported.

The National Emergency Office (Onemi), which reports to the Ministry of the Interior, said the earthquake intensity varied between V and III on the international scale of Mercalli, ranging from I to XII.

According to official information, the intensity was III degrees in the municipality of Vallenar, while it was V degrees to Andacollo, La Higuera, Ovalle, Paiguano, Río Hurtado and Vicuña.

In addition, in the localities of Combarbalá, Coquimbo, La Serena, Monte Patria and Punitaqui, the earthquake was perceived with an intensity of IV degrees.

For its part, the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (SHOA) added that the characteristics of the earthquake were not sufficient to cause a tsunami.

Located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile is considered one of the most seismic countries on the planet after Japan and the fourth most exposed to major damage caused by natural disasters.

On February 11, President Sebastián Piñera declared that the damage caused by forest fires, the floods in the north of the country and the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that rocked the Coquimbo region in January had led to losses in the area. 39, about 195 million people. of dollars.