Thousands of people are trying to rise from the ashes in the hills Vina del MarIn the area of Valparaíso in the middle of chilifrom one of the hit Deadliest wildfires of the 21st centurywith a updated account balance this Monday from 122 dead and more than one Hundreds are missing.
Friday’s fierce fires left residents of Quilpué and Villa Independencia, one of the region’s most densely populated areas about 120 km northwest of Santiago, without power, water and under a cloud of smoke.
“I still have a lump in my throat and it’s not so much because of the material things (…) I lost several friends from the neighborhood, four more up there. That hurts the most,” lamented Hugo de Filippi, a car mechanic aged 34. He moved with the help of neighbors and students to clean a sector where the roads were blocked by charred rubble and the smell of smoke still lingered.
In Viña del Mar, residents mobilized throughout the day, bringing water, clothing and food to areas most affected by the flames. With shovels and brooms, families and groups of friends climbed the hills to carry out clean-up operations.
“There is no explanation. This is really a disaster. Last year we were hit by a forest fire and this is six times worse. Today we clear debris (…) and then we bring what is missing from house to house,” he told AFP to Camila Pérez, 23 years old, who organized with her father, her partner and her brothers, to provide assistance in El Olivar.
Traffic was made worse by the arrival of volunteers, people wanting to help families and pets. Firefighters and official teams are also working to search for victims in burned sites.
In the middle of the southern summer, this beach area has a large part of its hotels without staff because they were affected by the disaster that left a trail of hills with burnt houses and narrow streets with vehicles unknown whether they were parked or occupied by people who tried to evacuate.
The latest tally on Monday increased the death toll to 122, of which only 32 have been identified, a statement from the Medical Forensic Service (SML) said. AFP