A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile early Saturday, killing at least 78 people and triggering tsunami warnings for the entire Pacific basin. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said she expected the death toll to rise. Numerous aftershocks -- including one of magnitude 6.9 -- were felt within hours of the initial quake, the US Geological Survey said. The quake's epicenter was located off the coast of Maule, about 200 miles southwest of the capital of Santiago. It struck at 3:34 am (1:34 am ET), when most people were sleeping. Jolted out of bed "This is a major event. This happened near some very populated areas," said Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with USGS. "With an 8.8 you expect damage to the population in the area." The earth's rumbling was felt by millions in Chile and in parts of Argentina as well. Some buildings in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, were evacuated. iReport.com: Did you feel it? Share information, images with CNN Bachelet declared areas of catastrophe, similar to a state of emergency that will allow her to rush in aid. She said the town of Chillan -- which was destroyed by a killer quake in 1939 -- was one of the worst affected. Video: Huge quake hits Chile Video: 8.8 quake hits Chile Measuring earthquakes RELATED TOPICS Chile Earthquakes US Geological Survey The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning, the highest level of a tsunami alert, for the entire Pacific region, including Hawaii and places as far away as Russia...

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