Chilean city's curfew continues after quake

An overnight curfew in the Chilean city of Concepcion was extended until noon local time Tuesday as looting continued in the aftermath of Saturday's massive earthquake.

The 8.8-magnitude quake has killed at least 723 people and damaged at least 500,000 homes.

The World Health Organization says it expects those grim figures to rise as communication and transportation improve and allow rescue workers to contact hard-to-reach communities.

In Concepcion, the country's second-largest city, markets were sacked on Sunday and looting continued on Monday, prompting government officials to impose the curfew and deploy close to 7,000 troops to patrol the streets.

One man was reportedly shot and killed, and about 160 people have been arrested in the city as police try to maintain order.

Rescue workers were still searching for survivors amid the rubble in Concepcion.
Michael Black, a Santiago aid worker with World Vision, a non-government agency, said the death toll could reach 1,000.

“We thought in the first 24 hours that we were coping with it,” Black said. “Now we’re finding out every hour that the magnitude of this is gigantic.”

The quake also damaged both airports and roads, including the Pan-American Highway, Chile's main north-south thoroughfare

President Michelle Bachelet made an official request for aid on Monday, saying the country need generators, water purification systems and satellite phones to continue relief operations.

Chile's neighbours have led the way in pledging aid. Argentina says it is sending six aircraft loaded with a field hospital, 55 doctors and water treatment plants, while Brazilan President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also pledged to send a field hospital and aid during a brief visit on Monday.

Peruvian President Alan García is scheduled to meet with Bachelet on Tuesday after pledging to send a field hospital and 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is also scheduled to meet with Bachelet on Tuesday at Santiago airport, part of a previously arranged five-country Latin American trip.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon issued an update on Monday night saying there have been no reports of Canadians seriously affected by the earthquake.

"We have been able to locate 520 Canadians in Chile and are actively trying to establish contact with 337 Canadians in the region who have not yet been located," Cannon said.

He said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Americas) Peter Kent had met with his Chilean counterpart to discuss Chile's needs.

Source:cbc.ca/