Three people have been killed after an 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Chile's northern coast, causing buildings to shake and flooding in coastal towns.
Authorities issued several tsunami alerts for Chile's entire Pacific coast in the wake of the tremor, which occurred 141 miles northwest of the capital Santiago.
Strong aftershocks shook the region - including one with a magnitude of 7.0 - as residents were ordered to evacuate the coastline.
A series of waves have been reported along Chile's coast and tsunami alerts remain in place for Peru, Ecuador and Hawaii.
As the alerts were issued, fishing boats headed further out to sea for the safety of deep water.
Many residents also packed their cars and drove inland to seek higher ground.
"People started screaming that everything was shaking," said Jorge Medina, a Santiago resident.
Footage aired on Chilean state TV showed water flowing into the streets of Concon, a coastal town near Valparaiso.
Other footage showed the walls and ceilings of buildings shaking as people rushed to safety.
In the inland city of Illapel, around 175 miles from Santiago, a woman was killed and the town's electricity supply was disrupted.
"We are very scared. Our city panicked," said the city's mayor Denis Cortes.
It was the first major earthquake to strike Chile since hundreds died following an 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010.
"Once again we must confront a powerful blow from nature," Chile's President Michelle Bachelet said while addressing the nation.
Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
The Nazca tectonic plate which lies off the coast plunges beneath the South American plate, causing major seismic activity.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded occurred in Chile - a 9.5-magnitude tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.
