SANTIAGO, April 24—A major earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck off the west coast of Chile on Monday, near the capital Santiago, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake, which Reuters witnesses said shook buildings in the capital, was centered 22 miles west of the coastal city of Valparaiso at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles below the seabed. The USGS initially assessed the temblor as a magnitude 6.7.
Chilean authorities initially ordered a preventative evacuation of the coastal area near Valparaiso, some 60 miles west of Santiago, in case of a tsunami, but canceled it shortly afterward.
The Chilean Navy and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake was not expected to cause a tsunami.
The initial assessment by Chile’s emergency services was that the quake appeared to have caused no immediate damage.
