- Title: Chileans desperate for gas, groceries following weekend riots
- Date: 21st October 2019
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (OCTOBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF LONG QUEUE OF SANTIAGO RESIDENTS OUTSIDE OF SUPERMARKET VARIOUS OF VERY LONG QUEUES OUTSIDE OF THE SUPERMARKETS, PEOPLE EXITING AND WORKERS ALLOWING LIMITED NUMBER IN AT ONE TIME (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED SANTIAGO RESIDENT SAYING: "I have to buy what I can for my home, for lunch or for dinner. There's nothing. The majority of the businesses are closed because they were looted and this one is opened but we have to queue because they are only allowing 30 people in at a time." GENERAL VIEW OF LONG QUEUE OF CARS AT GAS STATION VARIOUS OF QUEUE OF CARS AT GAS STATION GAS PUMP (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED SANTIAGO RESIDENT WHO IS TRYING TO GET FUEL SAYING: "I am scared about getting stuck but I want to fuel up just a bit more." REPORTER ASKS: "Why?" RESPONDS: "Because of what we are hearing it seems that we may end up running out. I have gone by many stations and they are empty." VARIOUS OF QUEUES OUTSIDE SUPERMARKETS, PEOPLE EXITING WITH SUPPLIES GENERAL VIEW OF SUPERMARKET WITH ITS SHUTTERS CLOSED, PEOPLE WALKING BY VARIOUS QUEUE OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET WITH SHUTTERS CLOSED, WORKERS ALLOWING ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER IN AT A TIME
- Embargoed: 4th November 2019 16:44
- Keywords: Chile protests riots looting preparations shopping crisis
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- City: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B21KHTZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Chileans confronted on Monday (October 21) hours-long lines at grocery stores and gas stations in the capital Santiago after a weekend of chaos in which at least 11 people were killed amid violent clashes, arson attacks and looting through the country.
Several Chilean cities were engulfed by days of riots, along with peaceful protests, after a hike in public transport costs. The violence prompted President Sebastian Pinera to declare a state of emergency in several cities, placing the military in charge of security.
Both the peso and the country's IPSA blue-chip stock exchange opened down on Monday morning following the clashes. Officials late Sunday said the country's copper mining industry, the world's largest, was operating normally.
Government officials have reported that 239 civilians had been injured in three days of unrest. In addition to eight killed in fires over the weekend, Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said three more had died, including one man from gunshot injuries in the northern province of Coquimbo.
Walmart Chile said more than 100 of its grocery stores had been looted, and in some cases burned.
In Santiago, most schools and businesses remained closed as many of the city's 6 million residents ventured out in search of food and fuel after the weekend lock-down.
Transportation officials in Santiago brought in more than 400 buses to reinforce the city's fleet Monday morning, and re-opened the downtown line of the metro providing east-west transportation across the city.
(Production: Jorge Vega) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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