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Latine America: Strong 6.2 magnitude aftershock hits off northern Chile

People stay on higher grounds in a tsunami safety zone after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook the region, in Iquique city, north of Santiago March 16, 2014. The strong quake struck off northern Chile on Sunday evening, triggering a preventive evacuation of part of the coastal area but not causing any injuries or damage to the country's crucial copper mines. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami expected. REUTERS/Cristian Vivero (CHILE - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuter) – A strong aftershock 6.2 in magnitude struck offshore northern Chile early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake nearby on Sunday that caused only minor damage but led to brief evacuations along the coast.

People stay on higher grounds in a tsunami safety zone after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook the region, in Iquique city, north of Santiago March 16, 2014. The strong quake struck off northern Chile on Sunday evening, triggering a preventive evacuation of part of the coastal area but not causing any injuries or damage to the country’s crucial copper mines. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami expected. REUTERS/Cristian Vivero (CHILE – Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

The aftershock struck 47 miles west-northwest of Iquique at 2:11 a.m. local time (0511 GMT) at a relatively shallow depth of 6.6 miles, USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Following the earlier quake, Chile’s massive copper mines, clustered in the mineral-rich North, appeared to be fine. Collahuasi, a partnership between Glencore Xstrata and Anglo American, located in the area, said operations were normal.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said following the earlier quake that there was no tsunami expected.

(Writing by Eric Walsh)

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