The Drake Passage connects the South Atlantic and South Pacific oceans between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Though less quake-prone than other stretches of Chile’s coast, the Drake Passage straddles a highly active seismic and geological zone. The area is very remote and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
However, images from Chile shows thousands of locals on the streets, avoiding being inside buildings, while news of tremors and tsunamis filters through.
As of now, most countries have ruled out tsunami threats, with Australia being one of the first to give the all-clear.
Chile’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service issued a tsunami warning for its Antarctic territory after the quake struck 258 km (160 miles) northwest of the Base Frei site, it said in a statement, but nearly three hours on there have been no signs of tsunamis as yet.
In Honolulu, Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre claimed there could be “hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake” in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but later calmed fears by stating there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or other nearby areas.