UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called for an independent probe into protester deaths during weekend demonstrations in Chile, citing "disturbing allegations" of excessive use of force by security services.

The death toll could be as high as 15 with 44 injured, nine of them seriously, and 283 detained, said Bachelet, citing figures from the National Human Rights Institution on Monday.

More than 1,900 people have been arrested, according to figures from Chile's Interior Ministry, cited by Bachelet.

Protests led by students began last week over a metro fare hike, which has since been canceled.

Curfew extends to third night

Five people died on Sunday when a garment factory was set aflame by looters in a suburb north of Santiago.

Earlier, officials reported that two people had burned to death in a fire at a store controlled by US retail chain Walmart, while a third person had died in hospital.

Read more: What's behind wealthy Chile's deadly protests?

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Violent reaction Protesters seek cover from riot police wielding a baton. The latest protest followed a short break in the wave of demonstrations in which several people have died, forcing the cancellation of two upcoming international summits.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Third week of protests In this image, a man is dressed as the the movie character "The Joker" while brandishing a Mapuche indigenous flag. Many Chileans were on a long holiday weekend and the latest protest was relatively small compared to previous efforts.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Women join forces for peaceful march Dressed in black, marching silently and raising one fist, around a thousand women have demanded justice for those killed during the civil unrest in Chile. Their march started off a day of demonstrations on a long weekend in the Latin American country, expanding later as tens of thousands answered social media calls to match previous protests that attracted more than a million people.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures A national protest The sight of soldiers on the streets is unsettling for many citizens of a country still haunted by memories of military rule under dictator Augusto Pinochet. Armored personnel carriers drove slowly through the streets deploying heavily-armed troops as violence worsened in the capital, Santiago, and across the country. Here, one demonstrator waves a Chilean flag as the troops spread out.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Hundreds of arrests Although Chile is one of South America's wealthiest economies, resentment has been rising over increased living costs and the shortcomings of public services. With Santiago engulfed in rioting over several days, security forces and protesters clashed repeatedly.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Widening wealth gap The protests began over a planned hike in transport fares last week, but have turned into a movement against Chile's economic model of creeping privatization, low wages and growing inequality.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures State of emergency Metro stations, buses and businesses were set ablaze as the protests began to turn violent. Soldiers were deployed on the capital's streets for the first time since the military dictatorship ended in 1990, and a state of emergency was imposed. Curfews were also put in place in several other Chilean cities.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Cloud of violence Although President Sebastian Pinera canceled the planned hike in subway fares, the violence has only worsened, leading to nearly a dozen deaths. Tear gas has been used against the protesters, and the army confirmed it had shot people dead while chasing looters. Meanwhile, at least three people died when supermarkets were set on fire.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Asking for the impossible? This demonstrator is holding a sign that reads "Let's be realistic, let's ask for the impossible." After meeting with heads of the legislature and judicial system, President Pinera has pledged to seek "solutions" to "reduce excessive inequalities" in the country. Protesters, however, don't appear to placated.

Chile's deadly protests — in pictures Military advance A demonstrator gestures as Chilean soldiers advance carrying their weapons, during a protest against the country's state economic model in Santiago. According to the Gini index, the most widely used international measure of inequality - for which the higher the number, the greater the inequality - Chile ranks as the most unequal country among a group of 30 of the world's wealthiest nations. Author: Richard Connor



Police and the military on Sunday used tear gas and water cannon against protesters in the capital, Santiago. Protesters set fire to buses, smashed metro stations, vandalized shops and knocked down traffic lights.

A curfew, intended to keep people "calm and in their homes," was enforced for a third night in a row in Santiago on Monday. Thousands of people in Santiago defied the curfew until soldiers dispersed the crowds with tear gas and water cannon.

President walks back 'war' remark

President Sebastian Pinera struck a more conciliatory tone on Monday after earlier defending his decision to call a state of emergency and deploy thousands of troops.

"If sometimes I have spoken harshly... it's because it makes me indignant to see the damage and pain that this violence causes," he said during a national address on Monday.

Pinera, a 69-year-old conservative billionaire, added that he was willing to meet with opposition leaders to forge a "new social contract" and alleviate inequality.

In an unscheduled talk from military barracks on Sunday, Pinera said the country was "at war with a powerful, relentless enemy that respects nothing or anyone and is willing to use violence and crime without any limits."

Major transit disruptions

At least two airlines have canceled or rescheduled flights into Santiago, affecting 1,400 passengers on Sunday and Monday. School was suspended in most parts of the metropolitan area for Monday.

Nearly all the public transport serving the capital city's 7 million people was paralyzed on Sunday. Cynthia Cordero told The Associated Press (AP) that she had to walk 20 blocks to reach a pharmacy to buy diapers, only to find it had been burned out.

"They don't have the right to do this," she said, adding it was right to protest "against the abuses, the increases in fares, against bad education and an undignified pension, but not to destroy."

Read more: Anger rising over Chile's private pensions

There were chaotic scenes at Santiago Airport as flights were cancelled

With the public transit system depleted by the destructive protests, people lined up at gas stations over the weekend as they tried to fill up for the upcoming work week.

Subway system chief Louis De Grange told AP that workers would try to ensure one line was up and running by Monday, but that it could take weeks or months for the other four to resume service.

On Saturday, in an attempt to quell the unrest, Pinera announced he was suspending the metro fare increase that prompted the violent demonstrations. But rioting continued, while the president pledged to look for "solutions" to "reduce excessive inequalities" in the country.

Pinera acknowledged that demonstrators had "good reasons" to protest. "But nobody, nobody, has a right to behave with the brutal illegal violence of those who have destroyed, set fire to or damaged more than 78 stations of the metro of Santiago," he said.

Read more: Is there a right-wing surge in South America?

Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday after a week of demonstrations and riots

One week of unrest

The protests began on Monday over an increase in metro fares from the equivalent of $1.12 to $1.16 (an increase of €.02), but have morphed into an expression of broader discontent at the cost of living in one of Latin America's wealthiest and most unequal nations.

What started as mass fare-dodging led by students turned into violence and vandalism over the course of the week, with fires set to metro stations and damage done to other parts of the capital.

About 9,400 military personnel have been deployed to keep the peace, according to the Department of Defense.

The rioting has led to millions of dollars in damage to burned buses and destroyed metro stops, office buildings and storefronts.

jcg,kw, mmc/ng (AP, AFP, dpa)

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