Chile Earthquake 2012: Strong 6.7-Magnitude Quake Hits Valparaiso, No Tsunami Alert Issued

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Monday night, causing minor damage and one death in the strong quake that hit port city Valparaiso.

The first quake was measured at a depth of 23 miles and felt all the way in the capital of Santiago, 69 miles northwest of Valparaiso, where buildings were shaking. Chilean copper mines were unaffected during the earthquake, Reuters reported. Codelco, the world's leading copper producer, however evacuated as a precaution.

There was no tsunami alert in the coastal earthquake, but state emergency office ONEMI evacuated the coastline near the site as precaution, Reuters reported. Several thousand homes lost power but there were no major damages reported.

One 72-year-old man, whose name has not been released, died in the earthquake from a heart attack sustained during the quake.

According to the USGS, the quake hit at 12:50 a.m. local time and a 5.1-magnitude aftershock was felt 13 minutes later.

In 2010, an intense 8.8-magnitude quake struck Chile and took the lives of about 500 people in its path of destruction, which devastated industries and caused tsunamis, Reuters reported. The country, located on an arc of volcanoes known as the Ring of Fire, is prone to intense quakes.