A powerful magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile on Wednesday night (September 16, 2015). The epicenter of the quake was about 140 miles northwest of the Chilean capital Santiago.
At least five people died, over one million people evacuated and tsunami advisory has been issued across Pacific, authorities said.
"Once again we're having to deal with another harsh blow from nature," Bachelet said in a televised statement.
Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because just off the coast, the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera to ever-higher altitudes.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded on Earth happened in Chile - a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.
Here are some videos that captured when a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit Chile:
VIDEO | How the earth shook when a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit Chile today.
https://t.co/ZKstXIbtad
— Times of India (@timesofindia) September 17, 2015Santiago resident Vladimir Alexander recorded this video as a M8.3 #earthquake shook #Chile. http://t.co/n61SWmZ21E
https://t.co/oAl92c2TmU
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) September 17, 2015#CHILE #Earthquake First video apparently shows tsunami wave hitting streets http://t.co/xsoWTMXFNn pic.twitter.com/ETxw0t6Gkj
— RT (@RT_com) September 17, 2015Video: At least five people have died after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit Chile, prompting tsunami warnings https://t.co/77nB9mYlNr
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 17, 2015[Image Credit: Daily Mail Online]