The quake also damaged homes, buildings and injured several people and was felt as far away as Buenos Aires in Argentina. Frequent aftershocks continued to shake the country.  As far away as New Zealand, authorities urged residents in eastern coastal areas to stay out of the water and off beaches amid expected "unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows near the shore".  "It's going to be a long night," said Ronny Perez in the inland Chilean city of Illapel, about 46 km (28 miles) from the epicenter, which was without electricity or drinking water.  Read MoreHere's how natural disasters can hit a country's ratings: S&P  A 26-year-old woman was killed by a collapsing wall in Illapel and another person died from a heart attack in Santiago, according to media reports.  The coastal town of Coquimbo was hit by waves of up to 4.5 meters (15 feet) after the earthquake, Chile's navy said.  "We're going through a really grave situation with the tsunami. We have residential neighborhoods that have flooded .... The ocean has reached the (Coquimbo) downtown area," said Coquimbo Mayor Cristian Galleguillos.  Chile is due to celebrate its national holiday on Friday, a time when families traditionally get together. Many schools are closed for vacation, and many Chileans have already left for the holidays, while others may find themselves stranded, with media reporting that roads had been cut off and public transport canceled between Santiago and the north.  Less than an hour after the initial earthquake, three aftershocks all greater than magnitude 6.1 struck the region, and smaller quakes continue to shake the area, The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
A huge earthquake has hit off the coast of Chile, prompting tsunami warnings as far away as California.