The Chilean government on Thursday urged people to avoid traveling to the earthquake-affected southern and central region of the country to ensure the transport of aid supplies over land.

Environment Minister Ana Lya Uriarte urged people to deliver their aid through institutions in charge of aid distribution and not to travel to the affected regions themselves.

"Very few sectors have water and electricity supply at the moment. Besides, there is no regular supply of food, so the capacity of these regions is very low to host people from outside," Uriarte said.

Marcelo Avalos, mayor of Carabineros, said priority will be given Thursday through Monday to the transportation of food and other relief supplies.

Avalos said it was understandable that the people in Santiago want to travel to the south to see their relatives, but if they do so they could jam the roads and consequently hamper the efforts to get aid to the most needy.

Meanwhile, a military commander advised people bent on going to the affected areas to take with them enough food, fuel and other supplies.

The magnitude-8.8 earthquake on Saturday and subsequent tsunami ravaged towns and cities along a 700-km stretch of Chile's Pacific coast, killing more than 800 people. Downed bridges and damaged or debris-strewn highways made transit difficult in many areas.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2010)