Photo: AP Photo: REUTERS
The quake, registered at magnitude 8.8 on the Richter scale, caused buildings and bridges to collapse and led to power-black outs in parts of the Chilean capital, Santiago, 200 miles from the epicentre.
Chile's President Michele Bachelet declares "state of catastrophe" following earthquake.
Eyewitnesses spoke of panicking crowds pouring onto the streets of the city, hugging each other and crying. Telephone and power lines were down, making a quick assessment of the damage difficult in the early morning darkness. The death toll figure was broadcast by Chilean radio, citing reporters on the ground.
Meanwhile the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an official tsunami warning notice to Chile and Peru, and a less severe tsunami "watch" notice to Ecuador.
"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," the centre said on its website. "It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicentre and could also be a threat to more distant coasts." It was not yet clear how big the tsunami was. Chilean radio stations later reported that the tsunami warning had been lifted.
The earthquake struck at around 3.34am local time (6.43GMT). Its epicentre was just 75 miles from the coastal city of Concepcion, south of Santiago, where more than 200,000 people live along the Bio Bio river, and 60 miles from the ski town of Chillan, a gateway to Andean ski resorts that was destroyed in a 1939 earthquake.
Concepcion is likely to be the most severely affected city and there were radio reports of collapsed churches and other damage. The impact of the quake was felt as far as 1,000 miles away in Argentina.
Early reports in Santiago, which is around 200 miles north-east of Concepcion, suggested that damage in the capital was not as great as feared. "Things were certainly moving a bit, but no structural damage visible," said one resident in Santiago in a posting on the BBC news website. "Some fires could be seen in the distance. No electricity at the moment or phone lines, but apart from that, so far not so bad."
In 1960, Chile was hit by the world's biggest earthquake since records dating back to 1900. The 9.5 magnitude quake devastated the south-central city of Valdivia, killing 1,655 people and sending a tsunami which battered Easter Island 2,300 miles off Chile's Pacific seaboard and continued as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.
An earthquake of magnitude 8 or over is classified as a "great" earthquake that can cause "tremendous damage," according to the US Geological Survey website. The earthquake that devastated Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on January 12 was rated at magnitude 7.0, while the one that struck Indonesia on Boxing Day 2004 measured magnitude 9.2.
The Richter scale is logarithmic, which means that each whole number step on the magnitude scale corresponds to the release of about 31 times more energy. Numerous powerful aftershocks also hit the region, including one of 6.9 located 130 miles south-west of Concepcion
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Chile on Saturday, killing at least 214 people and causing significant structural damage. The earthquake was felt in Chillan, Talca, Concepcion, and the capital Santiago. Sea level recording triggered tsunami warnings for Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The earthquake, which started at 06.34.14 UTC, was felt as far as Argentina. 

This earthquake occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The two plates are converging at a rate of 80 millimeters per year. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has announced that a tsunami warning is in effect for much of the Pacific Rim, including parts of Oceania and Central America.

According to the BBC, "large waves" have struck Chile's Juan Fernández Islands, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Three people are missing local media says. Reuters reported the Tsunami hit Tahiti at 16.50 UTC, where the BBC reports that the first waves were "smaller," measuring only 36 centimeters.

According to the AFP, part of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia was hit by a 13 foot wave. No casualties have been reported. 

The New Zealand Herald reported New Zealand evacuated coastal areas at 8:00 AM local time (18.00 UTC). Waves of 20 centimeters or less were reported at the Chatham Islands (400 miles from the New Zealand mainland) at 19.05 UTC. The Ministry of Civil Defense told the BBC that "the greatest wave heights will occur between six and 12 hours after the initial arrivals."

Coastal waters in Hilo, Hawaii were reported as "visibly receding" at 11:30 AM local time (21.30 UTC) by Hawaii News Now.
According to MSNBC, a 5 1/2 foot wave reportedly made land fall on Hilo Bay, Hawaii a short while after 12:00 P.M. local time (22.00 UTC).