5.9 quake hits northern Chile
Residents wave black flags as a sign of protest against the government's reconstruction plans during the commemoration of the victims of the February 2010 earthquake and ensuing tsunamis at Constitucion town February 27, 2011. A year after one of the biggest earthquakes on record slammed Chile with a $30 billion hit to its economy, a massive reconstruction effort is underpinning a strong rebound seen continuing in 2011. The state says it has completed 50 percent of its end of the rebuilding effort after the February 2010 quake, which killed more than 500 people. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
A moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 hit northern Chile early on Saturday in the region's latest seismic activity after last year's 8.8 magnitude quake, says US seismologists.
The quake struck at 6:59 am (1059 GMT) and was centered some 135 kilometers (84 miles) northeast of the town of Iquique, according to the US Geological Survey.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.
Chileans are still jittery after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country in February 2010. That quake and subsequent tsunami killed 524 people.
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5.9 quake hits northern Chile
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