A tsunami warning was issued in Chile after an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck off the southern coast of the country on Sunday. The national emergency office of Chile issued an alert and ordered citizens to evacuate the coastal areas of the Los Lagos region, including Biobio, Araucania, Los Rios and Aysen, BBC reported.

The temblor hit at 11.22 am (local time), 225 km southwest of Puerto Montt in southern Chile at a depth of about 15 km, according to the United States Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that hazardous waves were likely on coasts located up to 1,000 km from the epicentre of the quake.

There were no immediate reports of damage, said Alejandro Verges, the regional director for the national emergency service, according to The Telegraph.

In February 2010, 524 people were killed after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the country and triggered a tsunami.