Death toll in Chile protests rises to 15

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.

Also read: Why people are protesting in Chile?

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.