Huge earthquake off Chile's north coast triggers tsunami

* Five dead after powerful quake triggers tsunami

* Epicenter of quake off Chile's northwest coast

* President Bachelet to visit affected area Wednesday

* Copper mines not significantly interrupted by quake

(Edits)

By Anthony Esposito and Rosalba O'Brien

SANTIAGO, April 1 (Reuters) - A major earthquake of

magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of northern Chile on

Tuesday, causing five deaths and triggering a tsunami that

pounded the shore with 2-meter-tall waves.

Officials said the dead included people who were crushed by

collapsing walls or were killed by heart attacks.

The government evacuated Chile's northern coast and

President Michelle Bachelet declared the area a disaster zone,

promising troops and police reinforcements to maintain public

order while damage was repaired after landslides blocked roads.

"We're leaving with the children and what we can, but

everything is clogged up by people fleeing buildings by the

beach," said 32-year old Liliana Arriaza, who was driving away

with her three children.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was shallow at

12.5 miles (20.1 km) below the seabed and struck about 100 km

northwest of the mining port of Iquique near the Peruvian

border.

Mining (LSE: MIR.L - news) in the world's No. 1 copper producer did not appear

significantly interrupted, but about 300 prisoners took

advantage of the emergency and escaped from a female

penitentiary in Iquique.

About 26 of the women were soon recaptured, authorities

said, while security forces fanned out through the area amid

reports of power outages and isolated looting.

Photos showed Chileans calmly evacuating coastal areas on

foot, with policemen helping bundled-up elderly people and some

residents loading up vehicles with their belongings.

Some schools were being used to shelter people, and classes

were canceled in most of the country on Wednesday. LATAM

Airlines said it had canceled some flights to and from

Antofagasta (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) , Iquique and Arica in northern Chile.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake generated

a large tsunami with the biggest wave reported at about 2

meters. The Chilean navy said the first big wave hit the coast

within 45 minutes. Early on Wednesday Chilean authorities

canceled their tsunami warning for most coastal areas.

HIGH ALERT

Iquique is a key port, close to Chile's main copper mines.

The area has been on high alert in recent weeks after an unusual

number of tremors, and a series of aftershocks further frayed

nerves in the early hours of Wednesday.

The city is more than 1,500 km north of Chile's capital

Santiago, where the quake was not felt.

Seismic Chile has strict tremor-proof construction

regulations and most residents stay calm during quakes, which

helps to limit harm.

Lauding Chile's initial response to the quake, President

Bachelet said in a televised address: "The government will work

for as long as necessary to confront this emergency."

The center-left president, who only returned to power last

month, was due to travel to the north on Wednesday morning.

In 2010, at the end of Bachelet's first term as president,

an 8.8-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that devastated

several coastal towns in central-south Chile, a disaster that

killed 526 people.

State-owned miner Codelco and other major copper companies

reported no harm to workers or mines and said operations in

northern Chile were normal. Still, the massive Collahuasi mine

evacuated workers so they could be with their families.

A tsunami warning was issued for the Pacific coast of Mexico

through Central and South America.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a

destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the

epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within

hours," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, although no

disaster was expected to hit the island state.

"Sea level changes and strong currents may occur along all

coasts that could be a hazard to swimmers and boaters as well as

to persons near the shore at beaches and in harbors and

marinas," the warning center said.

Authorities in Peru started evacuating communities in the

southern coastal region of Ica. Electricity was partially lost

in the Peruvian cities of Tacna, Moquegua and Arequipa but there

were no reports of deaths or serious damage there.

Nearly 11,000 miles (about 17,000 km) northwest of Chile

across the ocean, Japan's Meteorological Agency said a tsunami

of up to one meter high might hit Japan's Pacific coast about

5am on Thursday (2000 GMT Wednesday). After collecting more

data, it said it may issue a tsunami advisory early on Thursday.

(Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer, Fabian Cambero,

Antonio De la Jara and Felipe Iturrieta in Santiago, Sandra

Maler in Washington and Mitra Taj in Lima; Writing by Hugh

Bronstein; Additional writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by

Gareth Jones)