A dozen forest fires have caused distress and the evacuation of residents in central and southern Chile, particularly in the Valparaíso region The flames caused a massive cloud of smoke and threatened hundreds of homes in tourist areas such as Viña del Mar.
According to a preliminary official report, at least ten people died in the fires in the Valparaíso region, including in central and southern Chile.
“There is preliminary information about the number of people who died, about 10,” reported the presidential delegate in the Valparaíso region, Sofía González Cortés. Additionally, Chilean President Gabriel Boric decreed “a state of emergency due to the disaster to kill all” resources “necessary” to fight the fires.
DISASTER IN CHILE
Due to the forest fires, President Boric declares a state of emergency in Valparaíso. Deaths, injuries and hundreds of homes affected are reported.
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Firefighters and rescue workers fight 10 outbreaks that have affected us since the last few hoursIn addition to Valparaíso, the regions of O’Higgins – also in the center of the country – and Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía and Los Lagos – in the south – said the authorities.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, it’s very worrying because we evacuated the house but we can’t continue, everyone (people) is trying to leave and it’s impossible to move,” said Yvonne Guzmán, a 63-year-old year-old board member. who left her home in Quilpué, said AFP. , a municipality about 90 km northwest of Santiago.
Four hours after his home was evacuated under “a cloud of ash”He had barely made his way down a collapsed road among people trying to escape the flames.
President Gabriel Boric wrote on his X account on the social network that all “forces are deployed to fight forest fires in the central and southern areas of the country.”
The President confirmed that the Disaster Risk Management Committee (Cogrid) will meet early Saturday to provide initial estimates of damage and casualties from a series of wildfires that spread violently within a few hours on Friday afternoon due to extreme heat conditions.
| Large forest fire destroys at least 100 houses in El Olivar de Valparaíso, #Chili. (February 2, 2024). #Firmly #Forest fires #climategram
Historic temperatures accompanied by forest fires that have already claimed at least 10 lives. pic.twitter.com/D0Aq7O3H7a– Climategram Alarm (@deZabedrosky) February 3, 2024
There are currently no reports of casualties, burned houses or the number of people evacuated. In Valparaíso alone, the fire has destroyed more than 7,000 hectares in a fire of “extreme behavior,” according to the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf).
In La Estrella and Navidad, about 200 km southwest of Santiago, authorities said further uncontrolled outbreaks burned 27 homes and forced the evacuation of several populated areas near the surfing resort of Pichilemu.
The mountains and hills are also burning at the end of Route 68, where thousands of tourists set off for the Pacific beaches this Friday, according to viral images on social networks taken from Route 68 People were stranded on the streets completely collapsed alternatives.
With AFP information.
ORP