4 km ESE of Cañete, Chile

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake — a great event — struck near 4 km ESE of Cañete, Chile on May 21, 1960, at a shallow depth of about 25 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they tend to cause the strongest shaking and the most damage. Shallow magnitude 8.1 events near a coastline can also pose a tsunami risk. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.