6.2 magnitude aftershock provokes panic in southern Chile

April 23, 2010 A 6.2-magnitude aftershock struck a large part of central and southern Chile on Friday morning, but it caused no casualties or major damage, reported.

The aftershock took place at 06:03 local time (1003 ), and according to the, the epicentre was located 26 kilometers to the south of , 65 kilometers to the south of , and almost 580 kilometers from Santiago. It had a depth of 54.4 kilometers. However, the United States Geological Survey reported that the aftershock had a depth of 35 kilometers and that it reached a magnitude of 5.9.

The Interior Minister, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, informed there were no reports of casualties or damage caused by the aftershock.

reported on their website that the aftershock reached magnitudes of up to VI in the, ranging from I to XII, in some towns in the. The aftershock provoked panic in the area. ONEMI specified that the intensities of the aftershock were: VI in ; V in Concepción, and ; IV in, Lonquimay and Puerto Saavedra; and III in , Retiro, ,  and.

At 06:14 (10:14 UTC), SHOA (Chilean Army Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service) ruled out the possibility of a tsunami in the affected area from Pichilemu, O'Higgins Region, until the.