Massive tsunami warning issued after Chile quake

A massive magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck south-central Chile early on Saturday, killing at least 85 people, knocking down buildings, homes and hospitals, and triggering a tsunami.

Local television TV Chile reported that a 15-storey building collapsed in the hardest-hit city of Concepcion, where cracks opened up in the streets.

Telephone and power lines were down, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage close to the epicenter.

According to US government reporte, a powerful new 6.1-magnitude aftershock hit just offshore central Chile early in the wake of a major 8.8-strong earthquake.

The epicentre of the 35-kilometre deep tremor, was some 200 kilometres southwest of Valparaiso, a port city in central Chile, according to the US Geological Survey.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck 70 miles (115 km) northeast of Concepcion at a depth of 35 km at 3:34 a.m. (0634 GMT).

The capital Santiago, about 320 km north of the epicenter, was also badly hit. The international airport was closed for at least 24 hours as the quake destroyed passenger walkways and shook glass out of doors and windows.

Chile's main copper producing region and some of the world's largest copper mines are in the far north of the country near its border with Peru, but there are also major copper deposits near Santiago.