M7.6 earthquake near Hualqui, Biobio

What happened

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 23 km SE of Chiguayante, Chile on 6 May 1953, 17:16 UTC at a depth of 66 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Hualqui, about 15 km away in Biobio, Chile.