Chilean President: “The number of victims will definitely increase”
National Mourning Day declared on the 5th and 6th
The death toll from forest fires in central and southern Chile has risen to at least 64. The number of missing people exceeds 370, and the death toll is expected to increase as some forest fires are still being extinguished.
On the 4th (local time), CNN Chile, a CNN affiliate, reported the scale of casualties as follows, citing local authorities.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric held a press conference after visiting the forest fire site and said, “The number of deaths will increase significantly.” At the same time, he declared the 5th and 6th as ‘National Day of Mourning’.
Interior Minister Carolina Toha said 92 forest fires have broken out in central and southern Chile, where temperatures have recently risen abnormally.
Minister Toha said, “The area affected by the forest fire is 43,000 ha (430 million m2), and so far, 40 fires have been extinguished and 29 are still being extinguished.”
The greatest damage is occurring in the state of Valparaiso, and the Chilean government has declared a state of emergency for the region.
It is reported that 372 residents are missing in the coastal city of Valparaiso alone.
“The biggest concern is that some of the bushfires are very likely to occur in areas very close to urban areas, at the edges of urban areas, impacting people, homes and facilities,” Toha said. “Areas that authorities are not yet able to access. “We are verifying information, so the number of deaths may increase in the coming hours,” he said.
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.