A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits off northern Chile

The first earthquake took place at 12:09 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 40 kilometers northwest of Carrizal Bajo, a village in the northern Atacama region, or 113 km southwest of Copiapó.

An aftershock, which measured 6.3, occurred 80km NW of Vallenar at 12:30.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey earthquake alerts warned of a possible tsunami in the region. But this warning was later cancelled. (ILKHA)