Strong quake rattles northern Chile

(CNN) -- A strong earthquake with a 6.3 magnitude struck northern Chile on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck near Tarapaca, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Iquique, near the borders with Bolivia and Peru.

The government's Emergency Bureau said the earthquake caused some minor landslides, but preliminary reports indicated no injuries or damage, according to The Associated Press.

State television said there was a brief interruption in telephone service and traffic lights in Iquique, AP reported.

Thousands of homes were flattened in northern Chile in November when three large earthquakes struck the region in the space of 13 minutes -- all considered aftershocks from a 7.7-magnitude quake that rattled the desert region the day before. E-mail to a friend

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