One dead in latest Chile bombing: official

Santiago: One person was killed when a homemade bomb went off near downtown Santiago early Thursday, law enforcement officials said following the latest in a series of recent explosions.

"The young man killed in the explosion may have been handling the homemade device when it went off," local prosecutor Claudio Orellana told reporters.

Orellana said the man sustained serious injuries at the scene of the blast and died a short time later.

The bombing is the latest in a series of explosions that have left Chile on edge, in the worst violence to hit the nation in a quarter century.

Three people were arrested last week in connection with one of the worst such attacks, a blast at a Santiago subway station that injured 14 people.

Prior to the bombing spree, Chile enjoyed a reputation as South America`s most peaceful country.

Officials said there have been some 200 unsolved bombings across the country over the past five years, targeting banks, gyms, embassies and restaurants and other public places.