7.1 magnitude quake hits Chile

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 of the Richter scale has struck near the central coast of Chile, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.

There is no report of possible damage and casualties, the USGS reported.

The relatively strong quake struck at 5:20 p.m. (2020 GMT) on Sunday, AFP reported.

The epicenter of the earthquake was 69 kilometers northwest of Temuco, Chile, and 171 kilometers south of Concepcion, at a depth of 16 kilometers, the USGS said.

Chile lies on the Pacific rim of fire and is prone to violent earthquakes.

Last February, the country was hit by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake, which triggered a huge tsunami sweeping away entire villages.

The incident left around 520 people dead and caused an estimated 30 billion dollars in damage.