Chile's military authorities have eased the curfew by two hours in quake-hit regions Bio Bio and Nuble, the army's most senior official in the region told local broadcaster Radio Bio Bio on Wednesday.

Residents must remain in their homes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, instead of from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. except in Concepcion, capital of Bio Bio, where the curfew will be reduced from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Gen. Guillermo Ramirez said. The curfew will reduce over time until the region is restored to normality, he added.

Chile deployed 14,000 troops to the region on March 2, to curb epidemic levels of looting in Concepcion and surrounding towns.

Ramirez said that the military and Bio Bio's state prosecutor, Ximena Hassi, are investigating the violent death of David Riquelme Ruiz, in the town of Hualpen.

"Based on evidence we have in our hands, it is possible that it was a military officer" who is responsible, Ramirez said. He said that Hassi told him that "a white car was seen with staff wearing boots similar to those used by the infantry."

On Tuesday, Chile's government removed Patricio Rosende, the junior interior minister with special responsibility for the emergency, and replaced him with Rodrigo Ubilla, the official designated by Sebastian Pinera, who will take office as Chile's president on Thursday. He was the first Pinera official to begin work, although Pinera has already formally named the nation's 13 regional governors, known as intendants.

Residents of Concepcion have returned more than 3 million dollars worth of goods, few of them of primary need, police said.

More than 100 people have been arrested in incidents linked to looting, some of them charged with attempting to sell the stolen goods.