Chile reports advance in post-quake reconstruction

The Chilean government said Friday 68 percent of reconstruction works were completed two years after the Feb. 23, 2010 earthquake that affected almost 800,000 people. "Just before celebrating the second anniversary of the earthquake, more than two thirds of the country's territory affected has been reconstructed," said government spokesman Andres Chadwick. Chadwick said the 2010 earthquake affected central and southern Chile, causing 500 death people and material damages officially estimated in 30 billion U.S. dollars. The government has been criticized by the affected families and the opposition for the slowness in the reconstruction works, but they rejected such accusations. It is preparing several events to commemorate the earthquake's second anniversary in Santiago and Concepcion, the most affected city.