Chile continues to battle deadly fires. The number of deaths registered in the Valparaíso region, 100 kilometers east of Santiago, stands at 112, authorities reported in the late hours of Monday (February 5, 2024), after days of warnings by Chilean President Gabriel Borich would increase.in the next hours“.
This is the deadliest fire ever recorded in Chile. Deputy Minister Manuel Monsalve said Sunday evening that the Interior Ministry had raised the death toll to 112 and that health authorities had identified 32 bodies.
Hundreds of families lost everything: the fire completely destroyed their properties and houses. Marcela, one of those affected, tells and shows the immense extent of the devastation on Chilean television. “It was like an atomic bomb“ he said between two black walls that are still standing. There was nothing on the floor except a pile of metal plates, and only his oven hadn’t completely burned down. “Large flames burned in the street. Neighbors burned down and died trying to escape“he added.
Chile mourns deadly fires
Chile declared two days of national mourning after deadly fires hit several urban areas in the Valparaíso region on the central coast. Top authorities in the Valparaíso region ordered an investigation into the deaths as many people were reported missing to police. “190 people are still missing in Viña del Mar“Mayor Macarena Ripamonti said at a press conference.
“We know that this number (of victims) will increase“, emphasized the Chilean President on national television from the La Moneda presidential palace, visibly impressed.
Interior Minister Caroline Toja reiterated that the death toll “significantly higher“Over time:”Much of the territory remains beyond our reach, which is why we do not have a complete study of the number of victims.“he added.
Boric asks to answer evacuation calls
“It is the greatest tragedy we have experienced as a country since the February 27, 2010 earthquake.said Chilean President Gabriel Boric.
Borich urged people in affected areas to respond to alerts on cell phones: “We need everyone’s help. If you receive an evacuation call, you must respond immediately because the fire is spreading at a very high speed: if you receive a text message, you must evacuate. All decisions are made by experts in the field“.
“I would like to reiterate the call that one should not hesitate when asked to evacuate. The fire is progressing very quickly and the weather conditions we have had have made fighting the fire much more complicated: high temperatures; strong winds, averaging 30 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 60, and also low humidity.”said President Monsalve.
This wave of deadly wildfires is the deadliest in history, nearly twice as many as last year, which broke the record number of deaths (27 people).
The fires took everyone by surprise
Rosana Avendaño, a 63-year-old kitchen helper, was outside her home when the fire began to engulf El Olivar, one of the Viña del Mar neighborhoods where she lived with her husband and pets.
“It was terrible because I couldn’t get to (my house). The fire came here (…) we lost everything. My husband lay there and felt the heat of the fire coming towards him and ran away.“said the woman.
Avendaño only heard from him this Saturday; for hours he feared the worst. Eventually, his pet was also saved from the fire.
The deputy minister said the deadliest fires of the last decade not only claimed lives but also destroyed around 15,000 homes.
Climate change is responsible
The high temperatures of the last few days also made the incident extremely serious. When the fire broke out on Friday, February 2, temperatures in the Valparaíso region exceeded 33 degrees. Meteorologists described temperatures in this coastal area as unusually high for this time of year. In addition, the humidity is lower than normal.
Wind gusts of up to 80 km/h were also recorded in the affected areas, which contributed to the spread of the fire. In addition, the Valparaíso region is characterized by many hills and valleys, whose terrain causes faster winds.
The final factor that explains these deadly fires is the population density in the affected areas. Experts say some of the burned areas are densely populated and lack adequate planning and communication. They also have no retaining walls. Furthermore, the infrastructure doesn’t help either: many houses in these areas are unstable and built from lightweight materials or combustible wood.
global climate
A heat wave with maximum temperatures is currently overwhelming the South American cone, where the natural climate phenomenon El Niño is being exacerbated by global warming caused by human activities, according to experts.
But this is nothing new, Chile has been struggling with drought for about 14 years, mainly affecting the central part of the country. In this area, the Valparaíso region suffered the most damage from these deadly fires. The reason for this water shortage is the persistent lack of rain.
With information from:
AFP