ANTOFAGASTA – Two immmigrants from Peru are recovering in hospital in the Chilean city of Antofagasta after being set alight by a mob of Chilean fishermen in the port city of Tocopilla.
Juan Jiménez Ninaja and José Díaz Ninaja, both real brothers, were left with second- and third-degree burns to over half their bodies after the attack.
The attack was reportedly triggered by competition between seaweed collectors.
The brothers, who had been collected seaweed in the region for five years, had received threats over the last few months and were in the process of clearing out their hut to leave Tocopilla when they were attacked.
Mainly shipped to Japan, China and France, the seaweed is used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as well as being eaten.
