Raging fires kill 51 people in Chile's Valparaiso region

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Feb 2024 08:16

Unusually high temperatures have facilitated the growth of 92 fires in Chile, which reached densely populated areas in the Valparaiso region.

Firefighters take a break after fighting the flames of a forest fire reaching Vina del Mar, in the Valparaiso region, Chile, February 3, 2024. (AP)

At least 51 people died after intense forest fires began burning around a densely populated area of central Chile, the Latin American country's President said on Saturday evening.

Around 1,100 homes were destroyed as a result of the raging fires, the Associated Press reported, citing Chilean officials.

President Gabriel Boric warned that the death toll could worsen, as four large fires expand in the region of Valparaiso. Firefighters who are attempting to reach the neighborhoods most threatened by the fires in Chile have experienced difficulties in doing so.

In this context, Boric urged Chileans to cooperate with rescue workers, adding that residents should not hesitate to evacuate if ordered.

"If you are told to evacuate don’t hesitate to do it," he said. "The fires are advancing fast and climatic conditions have made them difficult to control. There are high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity."

Officials had been aware of the imminent threat earlier that day, urging residents of the most hard-hit areas to evacuate their homes, as unusually high temperatures this week facilitated the growth of around 92 forest fires in the center and south of the country.

Three shelters were set up in the region, and 19 helicopters and more than 450 firefighters were brought into the area to help battle the blazes, Chilean Minister of Interior Carolina Toha said earlier.

In less affected areas, officials ordered residents to stay at home, easing the work of rescue workers and firefighters.

The Minister also said that in the Valparaiso region, four hospitals and three nursing homes for the elderly had to be evacuated, while two bus terminals were destroyed.

Two fires near the towns of Quilpué and Villa Alemana. in the same region, had burned through at least 19,770 acres since Friday, the Minister explained. One of the fires was threatening the coastal resort town of Vina del Mar, where some neighborhoods had already been hit hard.