THREE University of Southampton students escaped the devastating earthquake in Chile that has left hundreds of people dead.

The third year students, who were all there as part of their Latin American studies courses, have made contact with relatives to say they are safe and well.

One of them was in Chile’s second largest city of Concepcion, just 70 miles south-east of the 8.8-magnitude quake’s epicentre.

However, the university has only been in sporadic contact with the students because phone networks are not working properly.

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Senior language tutor Adrian Sewell said: “We’re delighted to hear that all of our students who are in Chile are safe and well.

“We are in contact with one of the students, who is in contact with the other two students due to phone networks being down.

“We have also been in contact with their parents since about an hour after the earthquake struck and they are aware that everyone is safe.

Latest estimates put the rising death toll at more than 700 people, with an estimated 1.5m homes damaged and a further two million people affected with thousands left homeless.

Historic buildings, roads and bridges have also been destroyed during one of the country’s worst earthquakes on record that struck 212 miles south of the capital Santiago.

The country’s president Michelle Bachelet has announced the introduction of emergency measures with troops contributing to the rescue effort and preventing looting.

A curfew is now also in place in Concepcion to speed up the delivery of vital aid.

Meanwhile, Japan yesterday lifted its tsunami alert following the quake. Although a tsunami of more than one metre high struck the country, and other Pacific nations were also hit, the waves were not as big as expected. However, Chile saw high waves destroy many of its coastal towns.