M5.5 earthquake near La Serena, Coquimbo Region

What happened

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 28 km N of La Serena, Chile on 5 Feb 2023, 01:02 UTC at a depth of 70 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.

The nearest town in our records is La Serena, about 29 km away in Coquimbo Region, Chile.