A powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake has hit the south American country of Chile.
At this stage the death toll is uncertain but tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and a state of emergency has been declared.
Waves as high as two meters hit some areas and there have been power cuts, fires and landslides.
The shallow quake struck at 8.46pm on Tuesday at a depth of 20km, and 95km north-west of the mining port town of Iquique.
The quake generated a large tsunami, with the biggest wave reported at 2.3 metres high. The Chilean Navy says the first big wave hit the coast within 45 minutes.
Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.
Authorities in New Zealand have said there is no threat of a tsunami here.
Article written by Editor
2 Responses
I feel sorry for them who where in the earthquake
When we had the earthquake in wellington that was scary so I could imagine what that earthquake was like!