A massive earthquake with a magnitude 8.8 has struck the south American country of Chile, rattling buildings and setting off a tsunami. <br/><br/>At least 78 people have been confirmed dead and the death toll expected to rise. <br/><br/>Buildings collapsed and phone lines and electricity were down, making the extent of the damage difficult to determine<br/><br/>Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet called on the people to remain calm and contact the authorities if they needed help. She said there were areas of the country where communications were down and teams were working to restore them. Many of Chile's news websites and radio stations were not accessible. <br/><br/>Buildings in Santiago were reported to have shaken for 10 to 30 seconds, with the loss of electricity and communications.<br/><br/>The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of about 35km and issued an initial tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Ecuador. <br/><br/>That was later extended to Colombia, Antarctica and Central America. Japan's meteorological agency warned of a potential tsunami across large areas of the Pacific.<br/><br/>In the Philippines the authorities have warned coastal communities in the east of the archipelago to prepare for possible evacuation following the Chile<br/>