MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The epicenter of the quake was located 58 miles to the northwest of the coastal city of Coquimbo, regional capital of the Chilean Elqui province, at a depth of some 20 miles, USGS said.
The earthquake was registered at 22:54 local time on Tuesday (1:54 GMT on Wednesday).
No information about the damage or casualties was immediately available.
Coquimbo is located at the region of high earthquake activity. A powerful 8.3-magnitude quake hit there on September 16. A strong 6.6-magnitude aftershock earthquake struck near Coquimbo on September 22.
Earthquakes of a 6.0 magnitude and above are considered strong and can lead to human casualties and the destruction of infrastructure.
