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Powerful quake hits north Chile Powerful quake hits north Chile
(10 minutes later)
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck northern Chile, according to the US Geological Survey. A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck northern Chile, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake, 36.7 miles (60 km) deep, was centred 106km west of the town of Calama and struck at 1240 local time (1540 GMT), the USGS said. The quake, 60km (37 miles) deep, was centred 106km west of the town of Calama and struck at 1240 local time (1540 GMT), the USGS said.
Two tectonic plates clash along the west coast of South America, the Nazca plate and the South American plate. "It was horribly strong. It was very long and there was a lot of underground noise," Andrea Riveros, a hotel worker in Calama, told news agency AP.
The quake could be felt strongly in the capital, 1,260km south, reported AP.
There were reports of outages of electrical and phone services, but no immediate news of casualties.
Two tectonic plates - the Nazca and the South American - clash in this region.
In August more than 500 people died when an 8.0 magnitude quake struck neighbouring Peru just south of Lima.In August more than 500 people died when an 8.0 magnitude quake struck neighbouring Peru just south of Lima.