Fierce forest fires sparked by high temperatures in south-central Chile have already wreaked havoc 20 thousand hectares It is caused the death of at least 13 people in the country.
It’s a wave of 151 sources of fires which are active in the country which has been suffering from high temperatures for days and where they have been recorded up to more than 40 degrees in some cities.
In this sense, according to the authorities, 39 of them are in combat while another 65 are monitored and the others “travelling or under observation”. The Chilean government has decreed the “state of catastrophe” before the landscape.
“We must point out that there are 13 deaths in total, 11 in the municipality (municipality) of Santa Juana, and a pilot of Bolivian nationality and a mechanic of Chilean nationality who boarded a helicopter that was on duty to fight this fire.” Mauricio Tapia, national deputy director of the National Service for Prevention e Disaster responseaccording to the AFP news agency.
As part of the activities carried out by the firefighters in the area, it occurred this Friday a fatal accident which claimed the lives of two members of the brigade when the helicopter crashed in which they travelled.
Regarding the incident that occurred in the last hours of Friday, the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, explained that it occurred in the municipality of Galvarino, in the region of La Araucanía, 700 kilometers south of the capital, and said that one of the brigade member was “a Bolivian expert with many years of experience in aviation and firefighting”.
“There’s a fire swarmmore than 50 between La Araucanía, Biobío and Ñuble, and the smoke screens are very important”, warned the minister, specifying that the identity of the second occupant of the aircraft is still unknown.
Likewise, they reported the discovery of five other charred bodies in the city of Santa Juana, one of the hardest hit.
In total so far there are 13 recorded deaths due to the advance of the flames: the other victims died this Friday in the aforementioned municipality located in the region of Biobío and 550 kilometers south of Santiago.
According to the prosecutor, four of the deaths occurred in two road accidents trying to escape from the flames while youA firefighter had a heart attack in full extinction work.
Chile in flames: over 20,000 hectares have already been affected
The regions of Biobío, Ñuble and La Araucanía are the hardest hit by the fires which have already destroyed more than 20,000 hectares, as well as hundreds of homes.
As a result, the rapid spread of the flames caused the eviction of dozens of citizens residing in neighboring municipalities.
The fires coincide with a long drought which has already lasted for more than thirteen years and with an unprecedented heat wave in the south, with temperatures that meteorologists warn, could reach 40 degrees in the next few hours.
Due to the worrying situation, the government has declared a constitutional state of emergency in Biobío and Ñuble.
Gabriel Boric suspended holidays due to fires and spoke of “unauthorized fire”
the Chilean president, Gabriel Borico, reported on Friday that he has suspended his holidays in Patagonia to travel to the areas affected by the fires. In this regard, you said that there are “indications” that some of them occurred due to “unauthorized fire”.
“There is no authorization to burn garbage or waste or anything,” said the head of state of the city of Concepción.
He also admitted that hethe situation is “complex” and asked the public to “act responsibly”: “It’s much easier to prevent a fire than to fight it,” he stressed.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.