M5.5 earthquake near Ovalle, Coquimbo Region

What happened

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Near the coast of Coquimbo, Chile on 12 Jan 2023, 06:19 UTC at a depth of 49 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Ovalle, about 17 km away in Coquimbo Region, Chile.