Buildings on Fire in Chile's Capital Amid Protests, Hotel Evacuated - Fire Department

BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2019) Fires erupted at several locations in Santiago and a hotel in the Chilean capital was evacuated amid ongoing demonstrations, the Santiago Fire Department said.

"We have carried out a rapid evacuation of people from the hotel and nearby buildings. We have contained the fire [in Padre Alonso de Ovalle and Santa Rosa Ave.]," the Fire Department stated on its official Twitter account late on Monday.

In separate tweets, the department reported several other fires in central Santiago on Monday night.

The local La Tercera daily said that the Santa Rosa fire started on the first floor of a mall that was next to the evacuated hotel.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that a major demonstration took place in Plaza Italia in Santiago.

The Monday protests were staged despite the fact that Chilean President Sebastian Pinera replaced key ministers, including the interior and finance ministers, earlier in the day.

A state of emergency was announced by Pinera on October 18, when protests against planned subway fare increases turned violent, with demonstrators setting fire to subway stations and buses.

The state of emergency ended at midnight on Sunday.