The photo has been used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today Report

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the coast of south-central Chile on Sunday, causing shaking felt in several cities but without any reports of damage, Chilean authorities said.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and its epicenter was 10 kilometres (six miles) beneath the surface and about 140 kilometers (87.5 miles) west of the town of Corral.

Chilean officials immediately discarded the risk of a tsunami.

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Chile's navy said the quake did not have the characteristics required to generate a tsunami.

The tremor was felt with various intensities in the regions of La Araucania, Los Rios, Los Lagos and Biobio.

Chile's National Emergency Office said that there were no reports of injuries or damage and that basic services were functioning normally.

A car is crushed by falling debris after an earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia, on March 22, 2020. File/AP

Rodrigo Holzapel, chief of the Tolten fire brigade in the La Araucanía region, said they had not received any emergency calls.

Croatian state television also reported, citing data from the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre that a magnitude 5.2 earthquake was hit central Croatia on Monday with an epicentre some 50 kilometres southeast of the capital Zagreb.

The quake at 0528 GMT was also felt in the capital. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

“We have no such reports yet but it is possible that such an earthquake could cause material damage in the epicentre area, which was in the vicinity of the town of Petrinja,” seismologist Kresimir Kuk told state radio.

In March, an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 hit Zagreb causing one death and injuring 27 people.