Death Toll From Riots In Chile Rises To Four - Fire Department

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2019) The fourth person was confirmed to have died in Chile amid unending violent riots and looting triggered by the increase of fares on public transportation last week, the country's fire services said on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, reports came about a supermarket in the Chilean capital of Santiago having been set on fire overnight and leaving three people killed. The municipal authorities said the supermarket had been robbed before catching fire.

"We were cleaning the premises and found the body of a man who died in a fire in the supermarket," the chief of the fire brigade, Jorge Durán, said.

Chile has been marred in public unrest since October 6, when the authorities increased subway fares.

What started as peaceful public demonstrations, grew into violent rallies, clashes with law enforcement and public unrest. On Friday, the violence peaked as protesters burned several subway stations as well as buses and office buildings. The Santiago subway was closed for the weekend.

The increasingly violent nature of the public rallies forced the authorities to declare a state of emergency and then impose a curfew in the provinces of Santiago and Chacabuco, as well as in the municipalities of Puente Alto and San Bernardo on Saturday.

According to Chilean Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick, more than 700 were detained during the riots overnight on Sunday.