At least 51 people have been killed in forest fires raging in central Chile, and the death toll could continue to rise, authorities said Saturday, as emergency services continue to struggle to extinguish blazes threatening urban areas. announced.
Black smoke rose into the air in many parts of central Chile’s Valparaíso region, home to about 1 million people, as firefighters battled the blaze using helicopters and trucks.
Chilean authorities said areas around the coastal tourist town of Vina del Mar were the worst hit, and rescue teams were struggling to reach all affected areas.
The death toll rose after five bodies were found on a public road and, according to information, “will reach even higher numbers” in the coming hours, Interior Minister Carolina Toha said.
“The situation in Valparaíso is the most delicate,” Toha said, adding that the country was facing its worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake that killed around 500 people.
President Gabriel Boric told the nation in a televised address: “The situation is really very difficult.”
Wildfires are not uncommon in Chile during the summer. Last year’s record heat wave killed about 27 people and damaged more than 990,000 acres.
“Although the area on fire today is much smaller than last year, the number of hectares affected at the moment is increasing very rapidly,” Toha said.
From Friday to Saturday, the area affected by wildfires increased from 74,130 acres to 110,000 acres.
Toha said authorities’ biggest concern is that some of the ongoing fires are occurring very close to urban areas and are “very likely to impact people, homes and facilities.” He said that.
