Powerful quake hits deep underneath northern Argentina

[News_Editor]

Powerful quake hits deep underneath northern Argentina

2011-01-01 19:36:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful but deep earthquake struck northern Argentina on early Saturday morning, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake at 6.56 a.m. local time (0956 am GMT) was centered approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Santiago del Estero, the capital of the province with the same name. It struck about 583 kilometers (362 miles) deep, making it a deep earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The agency estimated that some 4.6 million people may have perceived weak shaking, but said damage or casualties were not expected due to the depth of the earthquake.

Last year, on February 27, a strong and shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 20 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Salta, the capital city of Salta Province in Argentina. An 8-year-old boy was killed when a wall collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

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