New 6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Chile

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck Chile on September 17 night. The epicenter was located offshore near the city of Valparaíso, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

“Armenpress” reports, referring to RT, that the quake, which had a depth of 8.7 kilometers, struck 90 kilometersnorthwest of Valparaíso, a port city on Chile's coast.The city is home to 284,000 people, making GreaterValparaíso the second-largest metropolitan area in the country.

It comes after an 8.3 magnitude quake hit off northern Chile on Wednesday evening, killing 11 people. Twenty others were injured, and one million were evacuated from their homes.

The previous quake also affectedValparaíso, with two-meter waves striking the city.

A total of 1,800 people were left without drinking water in the city of Illapel, according to officials. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands were left without electricity in the worst-affected Coquimbo region.The homes of 610 people were so severely damaged that they were unable to return by late Thursday afternoon, according to government data. An additional 179 homes were destroyed. The Wednesday earthquake also triggered tsunami waves, some of which managed to reach the coast ofJapan. According to the USGS, the quake wasthe largest to hit near that areain over 100 years. Speaking at a press conference, ChileanInterior Minister Jorge Burgos said the 8.3 earthquake was one of the top 30most powerful in world history.

Photo by AP