A 6.2-magnitude quake strikes off the coast in southern Chile without reports of damage

SANTIAGO, Chile -- A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the coast of southern Chile Friday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no warnings of a tsunami.

The quake’s epicenter was 278 kilometers (172 miles) west-northwest of Cochrane, Chile, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Cochrane is a sparsely populated area in the Patagonia region.

The USGS said that the quake, at 6:37 a.m. Chilean time, had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Chile’s national disaster agency deemed the earthquake as one of “lower intensity,” but it said it will keep evaluating for any potential damage.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific that is uniquely vulnerable to earthquakes. Chileans still have painful memories of a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in 2010 that spawned a tsunami and killed 526 people.