Chileans still have painful memories of a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in 2010 that triggered a tsunami and killed 526 people. Since that disaster, Chilean authorities have sought to improve emergency procedures and fit buildings with shock-absorbing devices that can greatly reduce damage and prevent collapse.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a massive earthquake of 6.1-magnitude on Thursday struck northern Chile.

Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia have endorsed Suriname's Foreign Minister, Albert Ramdin, as their candidate for Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Ramdin, who previously served as Assistant Secretary General of the OAS,

No tsunami warning was issued in the earthquake-prone South American nation.The quakes epicentre was 104 kilometres southwest of San Pedro de Atacama, a small town on the edge of the northern desert near Chiles border with Bolivia,