Chile: A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs off the southwestern coast of Atacama Region at around 08:45 Oct. 24

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the southwestern coast of Chile's Atacama Region at around 08:45 CLT Oct. 24. The epicenter was about 86 km (53 miles) west-southwest of Vallenar. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 9 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of the central and southern Atacama Region and central and northern Coquimbo regions in Chile and into far northwestern La Rioja and northwestern San Juan provinces in Argentina. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.