Chile was hit by 8.2 magnitude earthquake, Tsunami warning in effect

A powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake has struck off Chile's northern coast, causing landslides, fires and setting off a tsunami that forced an evacuation of coastal areas.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, but buildings shook in nearby Peru and in Bolivia's high altitude capital of La Paz.

The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded the magnitude. It said the quake struck 99 kilometres northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46pm (local time), hitting a region that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks.

The quake was just 10 kilometres deep.

Chile's emergency service reported some road blocked by landslides caused by the quake, but said no injuries had been reported so far.

An official at Peru's civil defense office said evacuations were underway on that country's coast. The official, who did not give her name, said there were no immediate reports of damage. Police officer Alejandro Rosado in a Tacna, a Peruvian town near the coast, said no damage or injuries had been reported there.

"Everyone along our coast should be alert and ready," Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said on Twitter.

In Peru, the southern coastal area was also put on alert, while in Lima roads along the coast were closed, said the mayor of the capital, Susana Villaran.

"This is a warning to all the precautionary measures to be taken by the population," Colbert Ruiz, a commander with the navy, told AFP.

"An alert means being on watch but does not confirm the arrival of a tsunami," he said.

"So far, there is nothing."

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, and a large earthquake has long been expected in the north of the country.

Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken Chile's far-northern coast in the past two weeks, keeping people on edge as scientists said there was no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors was a harbinger of an impending disaster.

The unnerving activity began with a strong magnitude-6.7 quake on March 16 that caused more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialised and there was little physical damage from the shaking.

In February 2010, central and southern Chile were hit by a powerful earthquake of 8.8-magnitude followed by a tsunami that devastated dozens of towns.

The quake left more than 500 dead and $30 billion in damage to infrastructure.