Authorities in Chile's second-most populous city have extended a curfew in an effort to curb the looting following Saturday's deadly earthquake.
The lawlessness that has plagued Concepcion since the city was badly damaged by the quake prompted officials to extend a curfew from 8 p.m. Monday until noon Tuesday.
The looting continued from late Monday night into the early morning hours of Tuesday, as desperate residents seek basic supplies such as food and water. Several stores and businesses have been ransacked and burned.
Concepcion was the closest city to the center of the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake, which killed more than 720 people and left much of the country in ruins. The death toll is expected to rise.
The international community is mobilizing relief for Chile. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Santiago briefly Tuesday, bringing emergency communications equipment.
The United Nations said Chile needs mobile bridges, field hospitals, dialysis equipment and other medical supplies, as well as food and shelter.
President Michelle Bachelet sent 10,000 soldiers to the earthquake region to restore order, and she announced that supermarkets there would distribute food free of charge. Her government also is working to deliver food, water and emergency shelters as quickly as possible to thousands of people living on the streets.
President Bachelet says the earthquake is an emergency "unparalleled in the history of Chile." The Andean nation on the western coast of South America is in a seismically active area. It was hit 50 years ago by the strongest earthquake recorded in modern history - magnitude 9.5. The quake that struck Saturday is among the top eight strongest earthquakes ever measured.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said an emergency medical mission has been sent to Chile. He promised up to $3 million in an emergency grant for recovery efforts.
China's state news agency says authorities in Beijing are offering $1 million in humanitarian assistance.
Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
No comments:
Post a Comment