Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes Chile with no serious damage

A moderate earthquake struck Chile's central region on Thursday, causing buildings to sway in capital Santiago though there were no reports of injuries, damage to infrastructure or disruptions in the country's massive copper mines. The tremor hit 69 km northeast of Santiago at a depth of 81.9 km, which downgraded the quake to magnitude 5.5. World No 1 copper producer Codelco said its nearby mines were operating normally after the quake.

Seismically-active Chile was battered in February 2010 by an 8.8 magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami, which caused billions in damage and killed hundreds, and in this 2012's quake there were no reports of injuries, disruptions to basic services or infrastructure damage. The quake did not meet the conditions needed to trigger a tsunami, Chile's navy said.