Chile’s President Appeals for Calm Amid Looting and Violence in Earthquake Aftermath

Chile's president has appealed for calm in the earthquake-ravaged city of Concepcion, vowing a stern response to any renewal of looting and violence, reports BBC News.

Michelle Bachelet says 14,000 troops are now in the region, after dozens of looters were arrested.

As night fell, curfews were imposed across four major urban centres in Chile, including an 18-hour curfew in Concepcion, one if its largest cities.

Some half a million people are homeless in a city now under military control.

The death toll from the 8.8-magnitude quake now stands at 795, officials say, but emergency workers also say 19 people are still unaccounted for.

xAfter touring the disaster zone, Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera - who takes office on 11 March - said the situation was worse than he had expected.

"When we have a catastrophe of this magnitude, when there is no electricity and no water, the population... starts losing the sense of public order," he said.

About two million Chileans are believed to have been affected by Saturday's earthquake, the seventh most powerful on record and the worst disaster to befall Chile in 50 years.