Chilean Quake Victims
Loot Supermarkets
SANTIAGO - Massive looting of supermarkets
in the southern city of Conception,
repressed by police, marked tensions little
over 30 hours after the violent earthquake
which caused 300 fatalities.
There were also lootings in the cities of
Talca and Constitución.
After the 8.8-degree Richter scale quake,
which struck the south-central part of the
country on Saturday, President Michelle
Bachelet visited numerous disaster-hit
areas, stipulated relief measures and called
on the people to keep calm.
However, in Concepcion, 310 miles south of
Santiago, the looting of supermarkets began,
with people looking for basic products.
When asked by local press if they were
"stealing", some replied they did it out of
necessity because their families are
homeless and lack food and water.
Police Special Forces used water cannons and
tear gas to disperse the crowd, who
nonetheless returned to the place a little
later, according to live images on national
television.
Finally, police decided that only women
would enter the premises for an orderly
taking of food and personal hygiene
products, but they complained they could not
do so due to the amount of tear gas in the
facility.
In other parts of the country that has
suffered 110 aftershocks so far, some of
them very strong, water, electricity and
telephone services have not been restored
yet, while authorities decided to repair or
rebuild hospitals, roads and other works.
Director of the National Emergency Office (ONEMI)
Carmen Fernandez said aftershocks may last
for months. |
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