Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake Strikes South Pacific, Prompting Tsunami Evacuations On Easter Island

(CBS SF) -- An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck the South Pacific Ocean on Wednesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's automated seismograph alert network.

The earthquake struck around 7:14 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday in the East Pacific Rise, about 350 miles south southwest of Easter Island and more than 2,000 miles away from the mainland of Chile, at a depth of 6.2 miles.

According to the Global Post, the quake prompted evacuations from low-lying areas on the island, but no tsunami developed.

There are no reports of damage or injuries from the quake.

COMPLETE QUAKE COVERAGE: CBS Earthquake Resource Center

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Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast.
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