A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked northern Chile, just over 24 hours after an 8.2 tremor killed six people, destroyed 2,600 houses and led to mass evacuations.

A tsunami alert in Chile and Peru was again issued, with thousands of people urged to leave coastal areas.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet was among those evacuated on Thursday.

The quake is the strongest of several aftershocks which followed Tuesday's earthquake.

There are no initial reports of damage from the latest tremor but the Chilean navy says that the first tsunami waves have hit the northern coast.

(BBC)