A strong earthquake rattled central Chile, US geologists said on Monday. 

The quake was centered off the coast of the resort city of Valparaiso, the USGS said, and had a depth of 9.8 kilometers (about six miles) according to the US Geological Survey.

Chile lies on what is known as the "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of fault lines that circles the Pacific Basin and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The north of the country was struck by an 8.3 temblor followed by a tsunami in September 2015, killing 15 people.

In 2010 another quake measuring 8.8, also followed by a tsunami, struck the center and south of the country, killing more than 500 people.