SANTIAGO, Chile -- A magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck northern Chile on Wednesday, but authorities said they had no reports of injuries or damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, centred 35 miles (57 kilometres) north-northwest of San Pedro de Atacama, occurred at 10:52 a.m. local time (9:52 a.m. EDT; 1352 GMT).
"We felt a strong shake," said Maria Jose Donoso, a saleswoman at Grado 10, a local travel agency. She said that tourists were not alarmed by the jolt and the city, which is one of Chile's main tourist hubs, was functioning normally.
Chile's emergency services office said no damage to infrastructure was reported.
Chile is highly earthquake-prone. One of the strongest quakes ever recorded hit in 2010. That magnitude-8.8 shake and the tsunami it unleashed killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.
