Magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on the coastal strip near Valparaiso, Chile on April 17, 2012 at 03:50:14 UTC. The epicenter was located 42 km (26 miles) NNE of Valparaiso, 81 km (50 miles) W of Los Andes, 101 km (62 miles) N of San Antonio and 112 km (69 miles) NW of SANTIAGO, Region Metropolitana, Chile (32.692°S, 71.449°W). The epicenter was at depth of 25.9 km (16.1 miles) according to USGS. EMSC recorded magnitude 6.2 at depth of 33km (20.5 miles). Strongest intensities have been experienced in Titil and Rancagua following ONEMI Chile (MMI VII = very strong shaking). The earthquake is NOT powerful enough to create a tsunami.
The M7.9 earthquake in 1985 killed 177 and injured 2575 but the effects will not be comparable to this quake. The 1906 earthquake was M8.5 and killed 3882 people, but was offshore (also far bigger than todays earthquake). The major Chile earthquake of 1906 and 1985 were within a radius of 100km. Historically, there have been at least 50 damaging earthquakes within a 100km radius of the epicenter.
