Concepcion survivors riot as extra troops flown in

Fears over security are rising in the town of Concepcion, the decimated city near the epicentre of Saturday’s huge 8.8 magnitude earthquake. Angry survivors, desperate for food, have clashed with police and set fire to shops. The death toll has now reached 723.

(Photo: Reuters)

One person died as troops attempted to control rampant looting in Chile’s second largest city, where rescue teams continue to search for survivors amongst the rubble. Deputy interior Minister Patricio Rosende says 160 arrests have been made, while President Michelle Bachelet says there will be around 7,000 troops in the area on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in Santiago on Tuesday with promises of aid. The European Union has offered three million euros towards the aid effort. Japan has pledged two million and China 750,000.

Around two million people are thought to have been affected by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. More than 120 tremors, some larger than 5.0 magnitude, have hit Chile since Saturday. The deputy interior minister says the government has purchased all the food in Concepcion’s main supermarkets to distribute for free, and more supplies are to be shipped in.

The disaster continues to claim lives. An aid plane from Santiago carrying six people en route to Concepcion crashed killing all on board, while in the tsunami-hit fishing village of Constitucion, 300 bodies have been found.

An estimated 22 billion euros worth of damage has been caused to Chile as a result of the earthquake, around 20 per cent of its gross domestic product.