Chile: Magnitude-4.9 offshore earthquake occurs west of Tarapaca Region, Dec. 9

A magnitude-4.9 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean west of the coast of Chile at around 13:26 Dec. 9. The epicenter was about 19 km (12 miles) west of Puerto, and 25 km (15 miles) west-southwest of Iquique, in the Tarapaca Region. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 34 km (21 miles), and light-to-moderate shaking was probably felt throughout parts of northern Chile. There have been no initial reports of damages or casualties as a result of the earthquake; significant damages are 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.