People watch the damages in a building after an earthquake in the city of Illapel, Coquimbo Region, north of Chile, on Sept. 17, 2015. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the coastal region of Coquimbo which bore the brunt of the 8.4-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday night. (Xinhua/Jorge Villegas)
SANTIAGO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the coastal region of Coquimbo which bore the brunt of the 8.4-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday night.
Interior Minister Jorge Burgos said Bachelet made the decision after learning that more than 70,000 homes in the area remained without electricity, leaving the residents in peril.
"The possibility of restoring power to these homes in the next few hours is doubtful," said Burgos at a press conference in Santiago. "In consequence, much of the region will remain in the dark throughout the night. As such, it is wise...to reinforce security measures."
He added that the local military division was deployed to the zone to guarantee security at night. The army and air force are also coordinating efforts to cater to the thousands of people displaced due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves.
Bachelet toured the area on Thursday before heading to Choapa Province, which is part of Coquimbo region. She returned to Santiago in the evening. Speaking to the press from her plane, she promised to evaluate the situation with her ministers through the night.
The high-magnitude earthquake that struck central Chile on Wednesday night has left at least 11 people killed. Affected areas were declared disaster zones earlier.
