SANTIAGO, Chile, March 7 (UPI) -- Chile began three days of mourning Sunday for the hundreds of victims of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck the country eight days ago.
National flags flew at half-staff and the government authorized every house to hang the flag.
The death toll Sunday remained uncertain.
CNN said Deputy Interior Minister Patricio Rosende read aloud the names of 279 victims who had been identified by Thursday evening. But that doesn't include hundreds more unidentified victims, the U.S. network said.
The 8.8-magnitude quake struck Feb. 27,and the ensuing tsunami wiped out buildings and entire communities, especially in the Maule region along the coast.
Aid continued flowing into Chile from inside and outside the country, CNN said.
"Chile Helps Chile," a local TV station's telethon that began Friday and ran until Saturday night, looked to raise $27 million.
In a visit to the country, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged up to $10 million toward relief and recovery efforts.
"I am visiting this city with a deep sadness," Ban said Saturday in the quake-ravaged city of Concepcion. "Standing before this destruction, I can feel for your loss, your struggle."
Ban said U.N. agencies and the Chile government would set priorities for use of funds, stressing health, shelter, education and water.
