People will no doubt reflect on the scale of this event and compare it with the recent devastation in Haiti which has claimed an estimated 230,000 lives.
Saturday's quake was almost 1,000 times more powerful than the one to hit Port-au-Prince in Haiti. But size is not in itself an indicator of the likely number of deaths.
One major factor which will limit the number of deaths in Chile will be its greater level of preparedness.
Both the Chilean authorities and the Chilean people are generally well versed in how to cope in such an emergency.
The emergency response system is organised at national, regional and local level.
"Chile is a seismic country. So, we must be prepared!" is the message from Onemi.
The office provides advice on how to prepare for earthquakes and other disasters, and how to behave when one strikes.
The Chilean National Emergency Office (Onemi) is responsible for coordinating responses from services such as fire fighters, medical teams and civil defence.
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