Chile police say quake death toll may reach 630
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The death toll of Chile's Feb. 27 quake and tsunami might reach 630, according to data published by the nation's Investigative Police Directorate (PDI) on Wednesday.
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"There are more than 500 people who are identified, of whom more than half have received a death certificate," PDI chief Marcos Vasquez told a press conference. "There are another 130 affidavits of presumed deaths," he added.
The government of Sebastian Pinera, which took office Thursday, has not published an official death toll, after an incident during the closing days of his predecessor's government lead to a major recount of the dead.
The government of Michelle Bachelet had initially pegged the death toll above 800, but lowered the toll after it was discovered that some bodies had been counted twice. Since then, authorities have only issued only the names of those who have been identified after their families have been informed.
"A final total could be published as soon as next week," Vasquez said. All Chileans have identity cards that include their fingerprints and photos, which helps police identify bodies.
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