A 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolted central Chile on Saturday causing some power outages, but no fatalities or infrastructure damage have been reported so far.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 6:32 p.m. local time some 108 kilometers northwest of the capital Santiago, and registered at a depth of 35 kilometres.

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Its epicenter was at 50 kilometers northeast of Valparaiso city, and affected five regions of the South American country, it added.

Witnesses said the 30-40 second quake shook buildings in Santiago triggering panic among the capital's more than five million residents.

Three aftershocks were felt in the area, one coming shortly after another, but did not create any tsunami risk, according to officials.

"There have been some power outages but no reports of damage to buildings or infrastructure... though this is still preliminary information," said national emergency chief Miguel Ortiz.

Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world as it is located within the Pacific basin's Ring of Fire.

In April, six people were killed when an 8.2-magnitude quake struck northern Chile, forcing about a million residents of the region around Iquique to leave their homes.

In February 2010, an 8.8 magnitude quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, struck just off the coast of Chile's Maule region, leaving 500 people dead and causing an estimated damage of US$30 billion.

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