Sirens warned people to move to higher ground in French Polynesia and Hawaii.
Theearthquake struck at 0634 GMT, 115km (70 miles) north-east of the cityof Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital Santiago. It is thebiggest to hit Chile in 50 years.
Local journalists in the region of Maule said 85 had died there.
Deaths were also in reported in the regions of Santiago, O'Higgins, Biobio, Araucania and Valparaiso.
National television said it estimated that at least 150 people had been killed.
Television pictures showed a major bridge at Concepcion had collapsed into the Biobio river.
Rescue teams are finding it difficult to reach Concepcion because of damage to infrastructure, national television reported.
Aftershocks
InSantiago, where at least 13 people were killed, several buildingscollapsed - including a car park where dozens of cars were smashed.
A fire at a chemical plant in the outskirts of the capital forced the evacuation of the neighbourhood.  | POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES Haiti, 12 Jan 2010: About 230,000 people die after shallow 7.0 magnitude quakeSumatra, Indonesia, 26 Dec 2004: 9.2 magnitude. Triggers Asian tsunami that kills nearly 250,000 peopleAlaska, US, 28 March 1964: 9.2 magnitude; 128 people killed. Anchorage badly damagedChile, south of Concepcion, 22 May 1960: 9.5 magnitude. About 1,655 deaths. Tsunami hits Hawaii and JapanKamchatka, NE Russia, 4 Nov 1952: 9.0 magnitude 
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Damage to Santiago international airport's terminal will keep itclosed for at least 72 hours, officials said. Flights are beingdiverted to Mendoza in Argentina.
President Bachelet said: "People should remain calm. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have."
MsBachelet said a "wave of large proportion" had affected the JuanFernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Threepeople there are missing, local media say. Two aid ships are reportedto be on their way.
One resident of Chillan, 100km from the epicentre, told Chilean television the shaking there lasted about two minutes.
Other residents of Chillan and Curico said communications were down but running water was still available.
Many of Chile's news websites and radio stations are still not accessible.
InWashington, President Barack Obama said the US had aid resources inposition to deploy should the Chilean government ask for help.  Buildings collapsed over an extensive area |
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 35km.
It also recorded at least eight aftershocks, the largest of 6.9 magnitude at 0801 GMT.
TheUSGS said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west ofSantiago, with a wave height of 1.69m above normal sea level.
Onejournalist speaking to Chilean national television from the city ofTemuco, 600km south of Santiago, said many people there had left theirhomes, determined to spend the rest of the night outside. Some peopleon the streets were in tears.
Chile is highly vulnerable toearthquakes as it is situated on the Pacific "Rim of Fire", on the edgeof the Pacific and South American plates.
Chile suffered thebiggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quakestruck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people. |
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