San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina — A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck northwestern Argentina on Thursday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

**What happened:** The quake hit at 9:09 PM local time (7:09 PM CT) about 102 kilometers west of San Antonio de los Cobres, in Salta province near the Chilean border. The USGS measured the depth at about 185 kilometers — deep beneath the surface, which tends to soften shaking at ground level.

**Impacts:** Shaking was likely felt lightly in nearby mountain communities. There are no reports of damage or injuries at this time, and no tsunami threat exists — the quake was far inland, high in the Andes.

**What to do:**

- Drop, cover, and hold on during shaking. Get under a sturdy table and stay there until it stops.

- After a quake, check for hazards like broken glass, gas leaks, and cracked walls.

- Be ready for aftershocks — smaller quakes can follow the main one.

*Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 22, 2026.*