A Strong Earthquake In Chile:7.1 Magnitude

A strong earthquake shook the coast of Chile Sunday, disrupting power and communications services, without hurting anyone, officials said, as fears of the tsunami led residents to seek higher ground.
U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 2020 GMT 69 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Temuco, Chile, at a depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).
Nacional de Chile, Office of Emergency Services said the quake was "medium intensity" and hit Bío Bío, Maule, O'Higgins, central-southern Chile, which was devastated by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake and tsunami in February 2010.
The agency director Vicente Núñez told reporters that based on initial reports, the earthquake "caused no damage or casualties, although there were power outages and interruptions in telephone service.
"It is very common in this type of situation for phone services to close and power outages there," he said.
The quake triggered panic, with people fleeing to higher ground in Puerto Saavedra, Tirúa and fear of tsunamis, according to Chilean television.
However, the Chilean Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service dismissed the threat of a tsunami, said the epicenter was on land, not sea.
An initial report by the USGS said the quake occurred at sea, but later revised its results. U.S. authorities also dismissed the threat of a tsunami across the Pacific.
"Based on all available data a destructive tsunami across the Pacific is not expected," said Tsunami Warning Center Pacific in a statement.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers (62 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake," he said.
The National Emergency Office said Sunday's quake was followed nearly two hours later by a moderate earthquake.
The quake was felt in Patagonia Argentina near the border with Chile, especially in San Martin de los Andes, where dozens of people ran out of the office building for fear they might collapse, the News Agency of Bariloche, said.
No injuries or damage from the quake was recorded in Argentina.
Chile is located in the Pacific rim of fire and is prone to violent earthquakes. Last February earthquake triggered a tsunami that destroyed entire villages.
The disaster left about 520 people dead and caused an estimated $ 30 million in damages.