Santiago: Chile`s government has sharply cut the official death toll from last weekend`s earthquake and ensuing tsunamis to 279 identified bodies, from a previously reported 802 victims, without giving an official explanation.
A government source said the previously reported figure had included lists of people still missing from various local authorities.
Earlier, Chile`s President Michelle Bachelet asked for international support, saying “We will undoubtedly need to turn to international lenders”.
“We are going to have to ask (for credit) and hope that via the World Bank or other mechanisms we can count on sufficient funds.”
Bachelet`s government initially said it would be able to cope with reconstruction costs out of its budget. But it misjudged the scale of the damage, which according to one estimate could reach USD 30 billion, or about 15 percent of the South American country`s gross domestic product.
President-elect Sebastian Pinera, a billionaire businessman who will take office on March 11, unveiled a four-phase plan on Thursday to rebuild the country and acknowledged the quake will alter the course of his government.
“The future government will not be the government of the earthquake, it will be the government of reconstruction,” the silver-haired conservative said.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will visit Chile on Friday to assess the damage with Bachelet and Pinera.
Bureau Report
