The Chilean Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that health authorities had raised the death toll of the earthquake and tsunami of Feb. 27, 2010 to 523.
The death toll increased after the authorities were able to identify the bodies of two victims, found recently near the coast struck mostly by the earthquake nearly one year ago. The number of the missing people has thus reduced to 24 from 56, after 30 were found alive and the two bodies identified were removed from the missing people list.
The earthquake, measured 8.8 on the Richter scale, was followed by a tsunami, which hit the zones near the epicenter. The disasters have caused 800,000 people homeless and an economic loss estimated at 30 billion U.S. dollars.