Explosion outside British embassy in Chile: Foreign Office

LONDON (AFP) - There has been explosion outside the British embassy in Santiago, Chile, the Foreign Office said Monday, adding that there was "only minor damage" and no casualties reported.

A spokesman said it was "not clear what the target was," after the blast outside the embassy building in the Chilean capital.

According to the Foreign Office website some 50,000 British tourists visit the South American country every year, for which the terrorist threat level is low.

Britain has been on high alert since failed car bombings in London and Glasgow at the end of June.

Authorities briefly raised the national threat level to the maximum, "critical", although it has since been lowered back to "severe," meaning that an attack is highly likely.

Last month's attacks came a week before the second anniversary of July 7, 2005 suicide attacks in London which killed 56 including the bombers themselves.