Major Earthquake Strikes Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile - A major earthquake rocked a large area of northern Chile on Wednesday, and it was felt in the capital of Santiago. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury from the region.

The quake, which struck at 10:40 a.m. EST, measured magnitude 7.7 and was centered 780 miles north of Santiago, or 25 miles east-southeast of Tocopilla, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The USGS said it occurred 38 miles beneath the surface.

"It was horribly strong. It was very long and there was a lot of underground noise," said Andrea Riveros, a spokeswoman for the Park Hotel in Calama, about 60 miles east-southeast of the epicenter.

She said the quake knocked out power to the hotel, but caused no damage.

Carmen Fernandez, head of the government's Emergency Bureau, said the quake was felt across nearly 1,300 miles, from Chile's northern border with Peru to the capital.

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