Five dead and million evacuated after 8.3 magnitude earthquake hits Chile

Devastation: The earthquake sparked flooding in coastal areas. [Photo: Getty]

A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile last night, killing five people and forcing one million to flee their homes.

The quake shook buildings in the capital city of Santiago, about 280 km (175 miles) to the south, and flooded some coastal areas under a tsunami warning just before midnight UK time.

A 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago, according to media reports.

President Michelle Bachelet said she planned to travel to the areas worst affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the country since 2010.

She said in a televised statement: "Once again we're having to deal with another harsh blow from nature."

Television images showed panicked people gathered in streets lined with damaged buildings, while big waves flooded roads in some cities along the coast.

The quake also damaged homes, buildings and injured several people and was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Frequent aftershocks continued to shake the country.

Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia, although waves are generally expected to be small.

As far away as New Zealand, authorities urged residents in eastern coastal areas to stay out of the water and off the beach.

Reuters reporter Ronny Perez in the inland Chilean city of Illapel, about 46 km (28 miles) from the epicenter, which was without electricity or drinking water, said: "It's going to be a long night."

In April last year an 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck Chile leaving six dead and around 80,000 people displaced from their homes.

The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude quake.