Magnitude-6.3 quake hits northwestern Argentina, no casualties

USPA News - A strong but fairly deep earthquake struck northwestern Argentina on early Monday, with shaking felt as far away as Chile, seismologists and local authorities said, but there were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake at 7:49 a.m. local time (1049 GMT) was centered about 93 kilometers (58 miles) northwest of San Luis, or about 344 kilometers (214 miles) east-northeast of Santiago in Chile.

It struck about 172 kilometers (106 miles) deep, making it a relatively deep earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Argentina`s National Institute of Seismic Prevention (INPRES) measured the strength of the tremor at a lower 6.2 while Chile`s National Seismological Center measured it at 6.4. Computer models from the USGS estimated that as many as 5.6 million people in northwestern Argentina and parts of Chile may have felt weak to moderate shaking, but damage or casualties were unlikely, it said. "No casualties, disruption to basic services or infrastructure were reported as a result of this earthquake," Chile`s National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry (ONEMI) said in a statement.