41 km ESE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake — a major event — struck near 41 km ESE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile on July 19, 2024, at a intermediate-depth depth of about 127 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; intermediate-depth events inside a subducting slab are often felt over a wide area but do less surface damage than shallow quakes. A tsunami threat was flagged for this event — large, shallow quakes beneath or near the ocean can lift the seafloor and generate destructive waves. 216 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. 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.