A strong aftershock Wednesday followed by a false tsunami alert led to chaos in southern Chile, where nerves have been on edge since the weekend's devastating earthquake, dpa reported.
Following the 5.9-magnitude aftershock, soldiers deployed on the streets of Concepcion spread the word of a tsunami alert, even though the city is not on the coast. Within minutes the streets filled with cars heading for higher areas, as people feared that a tsunami might raise the water level of the Bio Bio river.
"The characteristics of the quake do not fit the conditions to generate a tsunami," the Chilean National Emergency Office (ONEMI) said subsequently.
In the nearby coastal town of Constitucion, police issued a warning over loudspeakers, asking people to head for the hills.
Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, in the Bio Bio region, was devastated by the earthquake on Saturday. A subsequent tsunami ravaged nearby coastal areas.
The death toll rose to 799 on wednesday, ONEMI said. The southern Chilean region of Maule suffered the most, with 587 deaths. At least 92 people died in the Bio Bio region.
Before the latest aftershock caused more panic in southern Chile, President Michelle Bachelet said the country will not be defeated by the adversity wrought by the earthquake. Calling on the private sector to help in the ongoing recovery efforts, Bachelet said that Chile was well-placed to bounce back from the tragedy.
"Beyond the tragedy, we are in a position to get up again," she said. "We cannot let ourselves be defeated by adversity. Instead we have to keep working to move on."
Bachelet, who is to leave office on March 11, asked Chileans to remain calm and assured them that Chile has enough qualified professionals, equipment and resources to tackle both emergency and reconstruction efforts.
She commended the private sector on its efforts to re-establish basic services, especially the supply of electricity, which is vital for people to be safe.
Bachelet reiterated her criticism of the looting that ravaged many areas of southern Chile in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's quake. "We will not tolerate or accept that anyone without scruples takes advantage of the tragedy to steal," she said.
Bachelet called on the business community to step up efforts to reopen shops so that people can look after their basic needs and also that no jobs are lost. "We do not want joblessness to add on to the drama," she noted.
Aid distribution in Concepcion was being carried out from house to house, but people would be asked to go to specific places to get water during non-curfew hours, ONEMI said.
An 18-hour overnight curfew was imposed to curb outbreaks of unrest and looting. During the curfew, only fire department officials, medical personnel and journalists were allowed to be on the streets, which were deserted.
With thousands of military officers patrolling the streets of towns in southern Chile, using tanks and assault rifles, tension had died down since Monday. The widespread incidents of arson and looting that marked life in the city in the immediate aftermath of the quake appeared to have been overcome.
"The situation is calmer. However, last night there were shootings in isolated areas," Concepcion Mayor Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe told Chilean television early Wednesday.
Public Works Minister Sergio Bitar highlighted the fact that all portions of mainland Chile can be reached by land, and he called on people living in areas worst-affected by the quake or caught somewhere to start returning home.
Buildings continued to be evacuated Wednesday due to damage caused by Saturday's quake, which got worse with every aftershock. Evacuations affected not just apartments and other private homes, but also some government offices, which were believed to be unsafe for workers.
Housing Minister Patricia Poblete said 1.5 million homes across Chile were damaged, including 500,000 that were virtually destroyed.