New Zealand will contribute 500, 000 NZ dollars (350,000 U.S. dollars) to international efforts to support Chile in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced on Wednesday.

Around 800 people were confirmed dead; more are unaccounted for; many thousands of people have been made homeless, and there was major damage to infrastructure in Chile.

"While Chile has well-established disaster response systems, this is a major catastrophe for our close friend and partner, and New Zealand wants to play its part in responding to the Chilean Government's request for international assistance, McCully said in a media statement.

As well as the contribution of 500,000 NZ dollars, New Zealand is discussing with the Chilean authorities possible ways in which New Zealand might provide assistance on the ground, although no decisions have yet been made.