The government emergency agency, ONEMI, said it was preventively evacuating some areas of the coast, but quickly revoked that decision.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck 64 miles (103 km) west north west of the town of Talca at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).
Magnitude 7.0 earthquakes or greater are capable of causing widespread, heavy damage and causing tsunamis at sea, but onEMI said this quake was not expected to generate a tsunami off the coast.
The quake struck near the same central region that was hit by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in 2010 and ensued tsunamis in 2010 that killed about 500 people.
The central area is home to some important copper mines, but the bulk of output in the world's top copper exporting nation is concentrated in the far northern region.
Chilean state copper giant Codelco said operations were normal at its Andina and El Teniente copper mines after the quake. Codelco spokesman Pablo Orozco told Reuters there had been no energy blackouts at the key mines.
【新闻快讯】当地时间3月25日晚19时37分，智利马乌莱大区塔尔卡市发生7.2级地震。中国驻智利大使馆25日晚发布消息说，尚未收到中国人在智利马乌莱大区地震中伤亡的报告。
中国驻智利大使馆表示，地震发生后，中国驻智利大使馆立即启动应急机制，第一时间同中国驻智利主要机构、首都圣地亚哥及震中附近地区主要侨团取得联系，目前尚未收到中国人在地震中伤亡的报告。鉴于近期智利地震活动频繁、震感较强，中国驻智利大使馆提醒驻智机构及华侨华人做好安全保护。
智利政府发言人查德威克25日晚说，由于巡海人员观测到海洋出现收缩迹象，智利国家紧急事务办公室决定对马乌莱大区沿海居民实施撤离。查德威克还表示，尽管智利海军水文和海洋局此前排除海啸可能，但根据马乌莱沿海地区巡海人员对海潮的观察，海洋有“逐步收缩”迹象，这通常被认为是发生海啸的前兆。为谨慎起见，政府将对该地区沿海居民实施预防性撤离。
