The explosion at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday night (0215 GMT Monday) was heard throughout the exclusive Las Condes neighborhood where the embassy is located, according to the daily El Mercurio.

A Foreign Office spokesman said it wasn't immediately clear whether or why the embassy had been targeted.

"We share the area with a number of other buildings, including the Israeli embassy, a tobacco company, banks and other things," a Foreign Office spokesman said, on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

He said the embassy had not received any threats, and that an investigation was under way.