Strong After Shocks in Chile
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Thursday, March 04, 2010
Strong aftershocks have hit areas devastated by last week's earthquake in central Chile, triggering brief panic.
The tremors of magnitude 5.5 and higher were felt in several cities, including Santiago. They prompted tsunami warnings, but these were later lifted.
Nearly 800 people are known to have died in last Saturday's 8.8 magnitude quake and the tsunami it generated.
Meanwhile, President Michelle Bachelet denied reports there were shortages of food and fuel in the quake-hit areas.
Aid is being distributed in Concepcion and other badly-damaged towns where the army had to quell outbreaks of looting.
The 14,000 troops Mrs Bachelet had sent to the earthquake zone restored order in Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, after an 18-hour curfew was put in place to prevent looting that broke out.
The curfew was extended from 1800 (2100 GMT) on Tuesday to noon Wednesday in Concepcion and similar curfews have been imposed in six other towns badly affected by the earthquake. On Wednesday, President Bachelet sought to calm fears that there was not enough food and water in the earthquake zone.
"There is no shortage, there is enough food and therefore we must remain calm," she said. "There is also enough fuel, there is no risk of shortages."
Dozens of people were arrested in Concepcion on Monday for looting and on Tuesday the mayor of Hualpen appealed for help in a radio interview, saying his town had been taken over by "thugs". Troops are fanning out to supervise the delivery of food, medicine and water to hundreds of thousands of people in need.
A special air route has been set up to deliver aid from the capital, Santiago, to Concepcion, 430km (270 miles) to the south. International aid from Chile's neighbours has been arriving as well.