A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit northern Chile on Thursday, July 18, 2024, with its epicenter located 24 km south of the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The quake struck at a depth of 113.9 km[4] and was felt across a wide area, including the cities of Antofagasta and Mejillones.
The earthquake caused significant damage in the region, with reports of collapsed buildings and infrastructure. In the epicentral area, a major landslide blocked the San Pedro road. The shaking was strong enough to be felt as far away as the capital city of Santiago, over 1,000 km to the south.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of fatalities so far. However, the quake has left many people without power and has disrupted communications in the affected areas. Emergency services are working to assess the damage and provide assistance to those in need.
This earthquake is the latest in a series of significant seismic events to hit Chile in recent years. In 2010, a magnitude 8.8 quake struck off the coast of central Chile, triggering a tsunami that caused widespread destruction.
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Chile is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its high seismic activity. The country experiences frequent earthquakes due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.5, remains the largest earthquake ever recorded.
As the region continues to recover from this latest quake, experts will be closely monitoring the situation and assessing the potential for aftershocks. It is a stark reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure in earthquake-prone areas.