Toll in quake at least 16: Chilean president (Second Lead)

SANTIAGO - The death toll in Saturday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile has risen to at least 16 people, according to the country’s president, Michelle Bachelet.

However the Chilean Navy until now saw no evidence of a feared tsunami, Bachelet, speaking at the national disaster centre, said.

It was too early to assess the full scale of the damage caused by the quake, which struck at 3.34 a.m. (1204 IST) in the Pacific, 90 km north-east of Concepcion, Bachelet said.

Chilean television channels showed pictures of damage to buildings, roads and bridges in capital Santiago and the second city of Concepcion.