California was rattled with a moderate 5.5 quake this weekend near Palm Springs. There were no injuries and only minor damage.

The region of Tarapaca, Chile was hit with a major quake early evening local time. The quake was a 7.9 in a vulnerable region of villages. It lasted nearly a minute, was also felt in neighbouring Bolivia and Peru. Chile building codes in cities improved dramatically after the 60’s quake, minimising damage.

In 1960 Chile experienced one of the world’s largest quakes, resulting in thousands of deaths.

8 people are known dead, the toll could go higher. There is extensive building damage in a coastal town, power and phone services are out.