Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake and the tsunami it unleashed in 2010 killed more than 500 people it was so strong it shortened the Earth's day fractionally by changing the planet's rotation. The strongest earthquake recorded anywhere also occurred in Chile, a magnitude-9.5 in 1960 that killed more than 1,600 people.
Three M6 quake within one week in 2014
Date: March 16, 2014
Magnitude: 6.7 quake
Epicenter: 60 km west-northwest of Iquique off Chile's northern Pacific shore, at a depth of 20 km
Casualties: More than 100,000 people evacuated some coastal areas as a precaution. Only minor damage was reported.
Time: 2:11 am local time (0511 GMT), March 17, 2014
Magnitude: 6.2 aftershock
Epicenter: 76 km west-northwest of Iquique offshore northern Chile, at a relatively shallow depth of 11 km
Casualties: There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Date: March 23, 2014
Magnitude: 6.1 quake
Epicenter: 96 km west-northwest of Iquique off the coast of Chile at a depth of 6.1 km
Casualties: There were no reports of damage or injuries.