Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Near Calama, Chile

Overview

• A magnitude 6.9 quake was recorded near Calama on Monday, May 25, with the USGS placing the epicenter about 12 km south of the city and a depth near 114 km.
• Chile's hydrographic service (SHOA) said there was no tsunami risk and national emergency teams opened routine damage assessments with no immediate confirmed deaths.
• Preliminary local reports and the national disaster agency (Senapred) recorded damage to some health units, schools and homes in the Antofagasta region, and the Ministry of Education suspended classes there.
• The quake's deep focus allowed shaking to travel widely; residents reported tremors across northern Chile and in São Paulo and other Brazilian cities, with social media showing indoor shaking.
• Seismologists noted modest differences in early depth and timing estimates between agencies as more station data are processed, and authorities said assessments and power-restoration work could change the initial picture.