Chile: Three dead after Santiago supermarket set ablaze amid protests

Three people have died in a fire inside a supermarket in Santiago as violent clashes between security forces and the demonstrators continued, Mayor Karla Rubilar said on Saturday (local time).

"Two people burned to death and the third was taken to hospital in poor condition, but later died," Al Jazeera quoted Rubilar as saying.

Her comments came hours after Chilean President Sebastian Pinera scrapped the hike in the public transport fares that triggered the protests in the country.

"I have listened with humility to the voice of my compatriots," Pinera said while making the announcement.

In the aftermath of protests in the capital, the Chilean government under a state of emergency announced a curfew in Santiago.

The protests, held by high school students, had spread to other cities across the country as well.

At least five subway stations and buses were set ablaze during the protests this week, while violent demonstrators looted supermarkets and pharmacies in the capital city. Moreover, several groups have called for a national strike on Monday.

This is the first time since Chile's return to democracy in 1990 that the government has declared a state of emergency for public disorders in the capital.