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No tsunami threat to Hawaii following earthquake near Chile

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COURTESY USGS

There is no tsunami threat to Hawaii following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake near the coast of central Chile this afternoon.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “a destructive pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.” Chilean authorities said the quake didn’t have the characteristics that would generate a tsunami.

No damages have been reported so far, but Chile’s National Emergency Office ordered a preventative evacuation of a stretch of coast near the city of Coquimbo.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the magnitude-6.7 quake was 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, and had a depth of 53 kilometers. It struck at 7:32 p.m. local time.

Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which makes it one of the most seismic countries in the world. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2010 killed 525 people.

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