Blast Outside Uk Embassy in Chile

An explosion at the British embassy in Chile has left minor damage but no casualties, the Foreign Office said today.

The explosion at about 10:15pm Sunday local time (2.15am today, UK time), was heard throughout the exclusive Las Condes neighborhood where the embassy is located, according to the El Mercurio newspaper.

A Foreign Office spokesman said it was not clear whether the embassy had been specifically targeted. "We share the area with a number of other buildings, including the Israeli embassy, a tobacco company, banks and other things," he said.

The embassy had received no threat, he said. Police were investigating.

Local journalist Jorge Garreton told Sky News the cause of the explosion was "a small cylinder with exploding powder and a timer".

"This is a posh area of town," he said. "It not only houses the British embassy but also the Israeli embassy (is) nearby."

Around 50,000 British tourists visit Chile each year, according to the Foreign Office, which states the threat from terrorism there is low.