Strong quake rattles northern Argentina

Updated at: 0137 PST, Friday, October 07, 2011
BUENOS AIRES: A strong, 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Argentina on Thursday, rattling a sparsely populated northern region bordering Bolivia and Paraguay but so far causing no damage or casualties.

The quake, which struck at 8:12 am (1112 GMT), was centered about 135 kilometers (85 miles) from the city of Salta and about 675 kilometers from Paraguay's capital Asuncion, the US Geological Survey said.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at a depth of 9.4 kilometers, was located in a mountainous region of Jujuy province, Carlos Rufino of Argentina's seismic institute Inpres told AFP.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, Rufino said.

The quake was strongly felt in Asuncion, where at least three government buildings were evacuated, officials said.

The quake-prone region has seen a great deal of seismic activity in recent years, including a 5.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of neighboring Chile last month, not far from the capital Santiago.

A 5.1-magnitude quake struck Chile's Tarapaca region, on the Pacific coast and north of Santiago, on Thursday at 1456 GMT, the USGS said.

Chile was also the location of last year's mammoth 8.8 magnitude quake which unleashed a deadly tsunami and killed more than 500 people. (AFP)