Chile struck by 7.7 magnitude quake

Tsunami warning issued for parts of Chile, say US geologists

A strong Christmas day earthquake rattled Chile on Sunday, registering 7.7 on the Moment Magnitude Scale, US seismologists said.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck near the southern coast of the quake-prone South American nation at 1422 GMT. It was earlier reported as magnitude 7.6. The quake's depth was about 15 km (nine miles).

A tsunami warning was issued for areas within 1,000 km (621 miles) of the epicenter of the quake, the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. The Chilean Navy also issued a tsunami warning.

Chile has a long history of deadly quakes, including a 8.8 magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast, which also triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.