Earthquake measuring 7.6 strikes Chile

The powerful earthquake hit a sparsely populated area of Chile.

A powerful earthquake shook southern Chile on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of deaths and only minor known damage.

The US Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 7.6 and said it struck at 11.22am (3.22am NZT) local time near the southern tip of Chiloe Island, about 39 kilometres south-southwest of Puerto Quello and at a depth of 35 kilometres. The area, some 1300 kilometres south of the capital of Santiago, is relatively sparsely populated.

National emergency director Ricardo Toro told a news conference that some 4000 people were evacuated for fear of a possible tsunami following the quake, but the alert was eased about 90 minutes after the temblor.

"There is no information of loss of life," Toro said, but he said some highways were damaged.

Taxi driver Luis Ramirez told the Associated Press by telephone from the town of Ancud that he was washing his car when the quake hit. "I'm 48 years old and I've never felt anything so strong," he said.

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Ramirez said cars equipped with loudspeakers were roaming the streets urging people to evacuate beach areas.

A much stronger magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010 generated a tsunami and killed 524 people in Chile.