A magnitude 6.7 earthquake has hit the coast of north-central Chile, the US Geological Survey said, with authorities reporting as many as 200,000 people without power and two people dead of heart attacks.
The quake struck about 16 km south-southwest of Coquimbo, measuring 53 km below the surface, the USGS said.
It shook homes, caused landslides in the region's mountainous terrain and initially prompted authorities to begin a mass evacuation of coastal areas ahead of a potential tsunami.
An elderly man and woman died of cardiac arrest thought to be associated with the earthquake, according to police and local media reports.
The quake also knocked out a major power station, but electricity was restored to most of the region overnight.
A witness reported minor damage to older buildings in the coastal city of La Serena, a popular Pacific coast beach town about 400 kilometres north of Santiago.
"It felt very strong ... The tourists were very nervous, but nothing serious happened," Camila Castillo, a receptionist at a hotel in La Serena, said.
Chile, located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", has a long history of deadly quakes, including a 8.8 magnitude quake in 2010 off the south-central coast that triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal towns.
