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Chilean President Warns Against Mobs at Earthquake-hit Regions

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Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Tuesday that she will enforce "all the strictness of the law" on those responsible for the rapine and riots in the earthquake-hit regions.

"We have ordered to carry out with the necessary severity to prevent the illegal actions from continuing to happen, and those who does not understand will receive all the strictness of the law," Bachelet said, referring to the rapine and fire on Monday in Concepcion, hit the hardest by Saturday's 8.8-magnitude temblor.

She added that those were "criminal actions of small groups that are causing huge material and human damages."

"It cannot be tolerant that the firemen, who today are fulfilling important rescue works in Concepcion, have to use their resources to fight against a fire in a supermarket, where the goods are valuable resources for the people," Bachelet said.

Bachelet also said the temporary hospitals should have been established, and the delivery of food, water, blankets and clothes should have begun in the most affected regions.

The Army and the Navy of Chile will dispose two frigates, one ship, 11,855 troops, 2,131 marines and 50 planes to provide assistance in the regions of Maule and Bio Bio.

According to Bachelet, the death toll from the massive earthquake has risen to 795.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2010)