AN EARTHQUAKE in Argentina has rattled millions in the country as well as in neighbouring Chile, putting the Pacific Ring of Fire on alert.
It struck 50 miles from the Argentinian city of Mendoza, which is home to 800,000 people.
Chile’s capital Santiago, home to 4.8 million, was also hit with many citizens reporting shaking.
One person reported on earthquake tracking website CSEM-EMSC: “Movement and noise in Santiago.”
Argentina and Chile earthquake: A 5.1 quake has hit South America.
Another Santiago resident said the earthquake was “mild and long”.
The western edge of South America is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active region in the world.
Today’s Argentina earthquake was followed by a 4.7 magnitude earthquake several hundred miles off the coast of Chile.
The volatility on the Pacific Ring of Fire over the past two weeks has increased fears for the Big One: a major earthquake in a highly-populated area on the US west coast or in Japan.
And countries across the blog stretching from Chile in South America to New Zealand are preparing for more chaos and possible aftershocks and tremors after weeks of eruptions and quakes.