Death toll in Chile protests rises by three to 15

A protester kicks a tear gas canister launched by police near the Santa Lucia subway station during a protest against the rising cost of subway and bus fares, in Santiago, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. (AP)

• Three of the deaths outside the capital were from gunshots
• The violence erupted Friday and was initially triggered by an increase in metro fares

SANTIAGO: The death toll from violent street protests in Chile has risen by three to 15, the government said Tuesday.

Eleven of the fatalities were in the Santiago region and caused by looting and arson, mainly targeting shopping centers, Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla told a news conference.

Three of the deaths outside the capital were from gunshots, he said.

The violence erupted Friday and was initially triggered by an increase in metro fares.

But it has mushroomed into a broader outcry against social economic woes including a big gap between rich and poor in a country that had been considered one of the most stable in Latin America.