It occurred less than 12 hours after the far larger magnitude 8.8 Chile earthquake, which killed 525 people.

The quake killed two people,[4][dubious – discuss] and injured dozens.

The damage was not great, but small buildings and slums were easily destroyed.

The earthquake received little regional coverage, largely because the catastrophe in Chile, occurring a few hours earlier, garnered the most attention.

Much of the destruction happened in the towns of Campo Quijano and La Merced, where several adobe houses collapsed and numerous others were left uninhabitable.