SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP)— A major magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck northern Chile on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, with no tsunami warning immediately issued.

The epicentre of the tremor was located 164 miles (265 kilometres) east of the coastal city of Antofagasta, at a depth of 78.5 miles (126 kilometres).

Chile is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude quake unleashed a tsunami that swept away entire villages in the south and centre of the country, leaving about 520 people dead.

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range to the east, Chile is also one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

The epicentre of Thursday’s earthquake was located about 50 miles from Chile’s border with Argentina, and less than 20 miles from its border with Bolivia.