Chilean President: “The number of victims will definitely increase”
State of emergency declared in hard-hit Valparaiso province
Approximately 372 residents are missing in the state of Valparaiso alone.
Dozens of forest fires have broken out in central and southern Chile, killing at least 51 people. With the fire still under control, authorities declared a state of emergency in the most affected areas and warned that the death toll would rise further.
According to foreign media such as CNN of the United States and the Guardian of the United Kingdom on the 4th (local time), Chilean President Gabriel Borrick said in a statement that day, “Considering the tragic situation, the number of victims will definitely increase in the next few hours,” and said that all resources will be utilized to help the affected areas. He said he would deploy more troops.
On this day, Chilean authorities reported that 92 forest fires had broken out in central and southern Chile, where temperatures have recently risen abnormally. The affected area covers 43,000 hectares (430 million m2), and firefighters have extinguished 40 fires so far, authorities said.
The greatest damage is occurring in the state of Valparaiso, and the Chilean government has declared a state of emergency for the region.
State authorities said about 372 people were missing from the area.
In addition, more than 1,100 houses were destroyed due to forest fires in the area, and 19 helicopters and more than 450 firefighters were reportedly deployed.
The fire caused a power outage in the area, and people at four local hospitals and three nursing homes were evacuated to other locations.
Two fires are said to have burned at least 8,000 hectares (80 million square meters) near the villages of Quilpue, a city in the western state of Valparaiso, and Villa Alemana, a city in the central state.
A citizen who lost his home in this fire said, “I’ve lived here for 32 years, but I never imagined something like this would happen.” He explained that he first saw a fire burning on a nearby hill on the afternoon of the 2nd, and that within 15 minutes, the surrounding area was engulfed in flames and smoke, and everyone had no choice but to run for their lives.
Meanwhile, CNN Chile reported that one man was arrested by the police in connection with this forest fire.
The man is said to have accidentally started a fire while doing welding work at his home in Talcasi, central Chile, and the fire spread to nearby grasslands. Prosecutors say they plan to indict this man.
As the El Niño phenomenon, in which seawater temperatures are higher than normal in the tropical waters of western Peru and Ecuador, has recently become more serious, temperatures in western South America have risen significantly compared to previous years, increasing the risk of forest fires. Last month, dry weather continued for several weeks in Colombia, causing forest fires and destroying more than 17,000 hectares (170 million ㎡) of forest.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.