Earthquake hits central Chile; no victims or damage reported
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- An earthquake shook central Chile on Thursday, reportedly knocking out phone service to a few towns but causing no injuries or serious damages, officials and news reports said.
The temblor, which had a magnitude of 5.6 and was centered 190 miles northwest of the capital of Santiago, struck at 3:25 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was felt across a stretch of more than 560 miles of Chile's narrow territory, but Emergency Bureau deputy director Pedro Valderrama said the agency had received "no reports of victims or damage, just alarm at some points."
Local radio stations reported that the tremor interrupted telephone service briefly in some towns north of Santiago.
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