The quake was initially estimated at a magnitude of 6.7, but it has since been upgraded to 7.1 magnitude. A magnitude 7 earthquake releases 2 petajoules of energy. Severe damage may be imminent, as quakes registering this high in magnitude are considered extremely forceful.
A witness said that buildings near the capital were shaking from the quake. It occurred off the nation's west coast.
The earth originated 10 kilometers below the seabed just outside the coastal city of Valparaiso. The quake initially led Chilean officials to declare a tsunami warning in some coastal cities and ordered an evacuation from Valparaiso and O'Higgins, but the mandate was later lifted.
The seismic phenomena was registered at 6:39 pm local time.
Valparaiso has a population of 238,000 while more than 4.8 million call Santiago home.
— Infobae América (@InfobaeAmerica) April 24, 2017
On Sunday, a 5.9 magnitude quake occurred very close to the epicenter of Monday's earthquake in the offshore Valparaiso region.
In 2010, a separate earthquake measuring 8.8 in magnitude preceded a tsunami that killed over 500 people in Chile.
