MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

A 6,3 seism hits Southern Chile

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook southern Chile early Monday causing power outages and minor property damage, but no injuries.

According to the University of Chile's Seismological Institute, the 48-second tremor occurred at 12:39 a.m. (0439 GMT) and was felt in six of the country's 13 regions, including the Santiago metropolitan area.

The Chilean National Emergency Office (ONEMI) said the quake shook the regions of O'Higgins, Maule, Bio Bio, Araucania, Los Lagos and Metropolitan Santiago where six million live.

The epicenter of the quake which caused temporary blackouts in the cities of Lebu, Contulmo and Cañete, was located off the coast of Cañete, some 320 miles south of Santiago.

In Lebu, Arauca province 364 miles south of Santiago, the tremor caused panic and sent dozens of families scrambling into the mountains for fear of a possible tidal wave tsunami which ONEMI's latest bulletin has ruled out.

In Lebu, the seism reached 6 on the Mercalli 12-point scale, while in Valdivia, located 519 miles south of Santiago, the quake measured 5 points.

The quake measured 4 points in Talca, Linares, Cauquenes and Concepcion, and 5 in Cautin and Malleco, but it was hardly felt in Santiago (2), except by those who were on upper floors.