Schools, hospitals, and other buildings were evacuated in several cities.
"It was horribly strong," said Andrea Riveros, spokesperson for the Park Hotel in Calama, 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the epicenter and site of the large Chuquicamata copper mine.
"It was very long and there was a lot of underground noise," she said, adding that the quake knocked out power to the hotel but caused no damage.
At the nearby Agua del Desierto Hotel, administrator Paola Barria said she felt like she was riding on "a floating island."
She reported downed power lines, cracked windows, and fallen pieces of houses near the hotel.
"I was very frightened. It was very strong," she said. "I've never felt one that strong."
In the Bolivian capital of La Paz, 385 miles (620 kilometers) northeast of the epicenter, some high-rise buildings were evacuated, but there was no apparent damage and people soon returned to their offices.
Stretching along the earthquake-prone Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile has suffered many destructive temblors. A 1939 quake killed 28,000 people, and in 1960 a magnitude 9.5 quake killed 5,700 people. That remains the most powerful quake on record.
On June 13, 2005, a magnitude 7.8 quake near Tarapacá in northern Chile killed 11 people and left thousands homeless.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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