Fiji issues tsunami advisory after Chile quake

Fiji on Thursday issued a tsunami advisory after a powerful 8.3-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Chile, killing five people and prompting millions to evacuate.

The waves are expected to reach Fiji's shores by midnight and coastal areas in the Pacific island country can expect tsunami waves up to one metre high, said an advisory from Fiji's Mineral Resources Department.

No immediate action or movement are needed, said the advisory, adding that the maximum extent of the waves may vary due to uncertainties in the forecast, Xinhua news agency reported.

An 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on Wednesday night, rocking buildings in the capital Santiago and sending people flooding on to the streets.

Waves up to three metres high were generated.

The epicentre was out at sea, 246 km from Santiago.

The temblor struck Chile five years after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in 2010 in central Chile killed more than 500 people and destroyed 220,000 houses.